November 3, 2007 Pierce Turner Wonders (not Stevie) What makes a person? I'm not coddin ye, this is the kind of shite that is goin through my head these days. I mean it seems to be a series of haphazard decisions in my case. I did this, I didn't do that, I could do this I wouldn't that! and the next thing I know is that I'm me! And I'm finding it harder and harder to shake off the consequences of past decisions often made so lightly. I look at people like Bruce Springsteen and I say "God he seems to know exactly what to do! I am such a fool!" sometimes I look at people that I can't stand even, and think they are geniuses-for instance Barry Manilow. I saw a thing on TV about him the other day-he looked like his skin was glued to his teeth. But he sang all his hits, and they were many. And I thought, "He's a genius!" I'm an eejit! I certainly couldn't be either one of those two guys. But I'm filled with admiration for their ability to decide. Not that I'm not decisive-I am! But I'm very fond of grey area. And that's where I reside. It's where most of us reside I suppose. And I like most of us. So have I answered my question? I have to think about it. Listen now ye bunch of sausages, it's time to start focusing on the Christmas gigs at Joe's Pub. They are not far away. But before I talk about them. I should tell you that we were put a little on the spot about the parlour gig at my house. Because the first e-mailing had an address boob-there were people who had sent in bookings and we didn't receive them. So we have an overflow from the first one on next Saturday Nov 10th. To counteract this we decided to add a second one on Sat Nov 17th (the following weekend) we have five spaces left for the 17th. Do you want to come? The details are below. I rehearsed with Fred Parcells here the other night we worked on some new songs with him singing and playing Trombone. And this week I will work with Andriette Redman who will sing and play Synth-the three voices should sound great together. Next week I will rehearse with Rob Thomas on Bass and 5 string violin and Cady Finlayson also 5 string violin. 5-string violin is amazing because it goes down to Viola and almost cello range. As you know they are both stunning musicians. All of these rehearsals will have a double whammy effect, as these are the people who will also play on my new album. Book now-be decisive! AAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH We will Rock the night away in the Grey…t unknown. Al my love. Pierce. Dinner and Do with Pierce performing live in his own Apartment. Dinner by Clare and Pierce. Capacity; 11 plus Clare and Pierce $60 per bottom As you can imagine, cancellations would mess things up-so in that event you would need to replace yourself, thanks lads. BYOB A return to the Sunday service. PIERCE TURNER AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN SUNDAYS DEC 2 AND 9TH AT 7PM SHARP TWO DIFFERENT SHOWS Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 Remember you don't have to have dinner to sit. You can book a booth just for drinks. Dinner and Do with Pierce performing live in his own Apartment. Dinner by Clare and Pierce. Capacity; 11 plus Clare and Pierce $60 per bottom As you can imagine, cancellations would mess things up-so in that event you would need to replace yourself, thanks lads. BYOB --------------------------------------------------------------------- November 26/2007 PIERCE TURNER LETTER I was only kidding about Barry Manilow-well sort of. I mean I'm just impressed about how clever the bugger is-but I was exaggerating when I said he was a genius. He's just not as stupid as I used to think he was. So that's my reply to everyone who wrote in to ask was I serious? *Oh Mandy* There are a few important things happening here. First Colin Murnane has at last completed the infamous documentary "*The Song For The Year"* and it is available as of now through his website www.*hankwicklow.com* on DVD. It would make a lovely Christmas present. I am still waiting for mine, but he tells me the packaging is luscious. Another important thing is the *Joe's Pub* gigs are upon us! For God sake it's next week! I'm just getting over the Parlour gigs in my own flat! They were really a total pleasure by the way-such lovely sausages. I knew I could be sure of that, but still what a great bunch of people. I am so pleased that the people who come to my gigs are not assholes. But back to Joe's-the first one is next Sunday Dec 2nd I rehearsed with Andriette Redman last night and she sounds great singing harmony and playing Bass Synth. Rob and Cady, New Yorkers will know, and of course the legendary Fred Parcels on Bone and Vocals everyone knows. We have some new songs for you, they went down a storm at the parlour gigs, thank God (Frank Phelan's ten year old son Connor asked me at the Rosslare gig- had I written any new songs-'I have! said I! and I performed some tonight, they went down well!' 'Oh thank God' said he (in a sincere whisper) Also at the second Joe's Pub we will be launching the fully refurbished " *Manana in* *Manhattan Live"cd. *The original has been all sold out for sometime and now that I've severed my connection with the original distributor we have re-packaged it and reissued it. It is my most requested CD at gigs and in the Shops, plus it was the main reason for getting that solo performer of the year award from Hot Press. Also this is the CD that the *HBO show The Wire* pulled my cover of "*Dirty Old Town*" from. As well as having a complete new cover designed by Brian O' Driscoll we have added three new bonus Studio tracks. You should get a kick out of the cover version of "Rock the Casbah" and some of you will remember me doing a song called "Waiting For Friday" and a new love song "I have only one Theme" this will also make a great Christmas present. For God sake. So for the Joe's Pub on Dec 9th we will give you a big selection from "Manana Live" including "Dirty Old Town" which I rarely perform, better tell Fred! And "All messed up" Maybe I can get Wynn Horan up from Philly? People are coming from Ireland too; their euro will be worth a fortune- the craic will be dangerous. I have to go now before I wear you out. Love. Pierce. * * *PIERCE TURNER - Performs* *AT JOE'S PUB - The Public Theater 425 Lafayette Street * *New York * *NY 10003* *on* *SUN DEC 2ND AND SUN DEC 9TH @ 7PM =96 The early show** Tickets available in person at The Public Theater Box Office Or call 212-539 8778 for reservations * *Two Different Sets* *Sunday the 9th will be the launch of the new "Manana in Manhattan Live" * --------------------------------------------------------------------- April 27, 2009 This Weekend with Pierce Turner Two especially warm places Coming up: May 9th, Saturday An Beal Bocht Café at 8pm 445 W 238th St 8pm 719-884-7127 Tracks at Penn Station 212-244-6350 May 17t at 6pm bruce@tracksbargrill.com Reservations (212) 244-6350 I have had a very exciting weekend I have to say. For a moment of complete surprise I was picked up by a tornado and whisked into the ether of the land where the very famous reside. In fact I was in the company of so many famous people I had to give up on trying to identify where I knew them from! You know how you see one on the street and you go "who's yer one?" was she in a TV show or a Movie? And you take the information with you wherever you go, on to the bus or into your car or on a run around the park. You keep seeing her face and finally it dawns on you "she was Georges Mother on Seinfeld" or something like that. Well I had a glass of wine standing next to the actor who actually played Georges father. He had two pairs of glasses on. A pair of sunglasses on his forehead and reading glasses on the tip of his nose-he was looking through neither one of them! Later I found out that he is Ben Stiller's father too! It started on Saturday. The playwright Christopher Hampton's partner Tiana had asked me would I sing a song in Philip Glass's house as part of a celebration for Christopher's 50th play opening on Broadway the next night, Sunday. I said "of course" then Philip said, "why don't I play with you?" again I was very agreeable. And at 10:30 on Saturday night I was answering the door between drinks to people like Mathew Broderick who was ringing the door for ages and almost gave up and James Gandolfini did actually give up, he was seen getting back into his limo (he is currently in one Christopher's plays on Broadway-"God of Carnage") Ultimately though plenty of heavyweights did get in, and after a feed of Vietnamese cuisine and copious amounts of wine. Tiana ushered them all upstairs to Philip's music room, and they all moved very efficiently when they were told that Philip was going to play the Piano. Next minute I was sitting behind the Grand Piano with Philip to my left playing my Synthesizer on his lap, and I singing "Yogi with a broken heart" looking up from the piano it had very quickly changed from a few interested viewers to a multi-layered soiree of sophisticates. People kneeled, sat on the floor and stood from small to tall. And without any ceremony we sailed gently into the song with Philip playing a wonderful keyboard part that he has created using a rhythm count that he learned from Ravi Shankar. I did have time between lines to ponder my position-and thought (very quickly) I may be a fuck up, and many people will say that I have not fulfilled all my possibilities, but so long as I have moments of sheer bliss like this in my life there is reason for hope. After we finished that Philip played a piece from the movie "The Hours" and everyone melted into a trance. There we were with all the P.G. Operas filed high up to the ceiling in their appointed shelves and the great man himself playing just for us-it just must have been akin to standing in a grand room with Mozart or Chopin at the Piano. The respect and empathy was effortless. The next day. Sunday, f@#kin hell! The phone rings, it's Tiana again. "How would you like to go to the premier of Christopher's play "The Philanthropist" on Broadway this evening? Again I was very agreeable! At 5:30 PM Clare and I were seated in the back of a black limo with the playwright, Tiana and her friend Ting Ting. We pulled up outside the Theatre on 47th Street to a mass of photographers and on-looking fans. It's not that I haven't been in situations like this before, but this one seemed to come from nowhere and it was very amusing. Christopher! Christopher! shouted the Paparazzi and Clare and I stood out of the way as they snapped the shit out of him and Tiana. We had fourth row centre seats. Mathew Broderick was the star of the play-so naturally Sarah Jessica Parker was there and this is where I lost track of the famous people-they were ten a penny. We had better seats than Sarah, and Philip Glass was next to us. I assured him that I wasn't stalking him. The play was excellent and afterwards we went to BB Kings lounge for an after show party where the booze was free and they served Dinner. Again the famous were so numerous that they cancelled each other out. It did occur to me that there might be some truth in the old suspicion that we use up one of our nine live when we capture our image in a camera. There's something oddly ‘not-present' about this world where the stars were being constantly asked to stand by strangers for a digital trophy to take back home in memory of the night that they broke into the silver cloud. What did these famous people feel like in the morning? Did they feel like their blood was sucked as others loaded their images up on to the computer? I don't know. It's weird!! I'm knackered now! But I have to tell you about my two last N.Y. gigs before heading to Ireland for the Summer-also today we are launching a brilliant new website designed by Brian O'Driscoll and with much gratitude to Michael Carroll and Joseph Prieboy. Please go take a look pierceturner.com The gigs are at two especially warm places with proprietors that are doing it for love not money. Please reserve now, as they are small too! The Beal Bocht is in Riverdale-a wonderful intimate venue with food and nice comfy armchairs and tables. Tracks is a totally unique environment- the longest bar in N.Y. and it's in Penn Station. Bruce the proprietor is a sweetheart and he let's me serve drinks at the end of the night!! He also brings in a Piano for the occasion. Excellent food is served. It holds 40 people, the cover is 20 and it would be best to get there at 6pm for a 7pm show. These gigs are the lifeblood of music, come fly with us. We'll have a chat afterwards. I love you more and more each day. Pierce xxxxxxxx Coming up: May 9th, Saturday 719-884-7127An Beal Bocht Cafe Tel. (718) 884 7127 subway 1 to 238th Show at 8pm Tracks at Penn Station May 17th, Sunday 6pm bruce@tracksbargrill.com Tracks Raw Bar&Grill Penn Station, NYC located on the LIRR level of Penn Station adjacent to the LIRR ticket windoIrish Summer ... June 20th, Saturday The Sugar Club, Dublin City, Ireland 8 Lwr Leeson St. Dublin 2 info@thesugarclub.ie tickets from Ticketmaster June 28th, Sunday The Pavilion - Cork City, Ireland Carey's Lane off Patrick St. in Cork Huguenot Quarter Reservations (021) 427 6234 or info@pavilioncork.com July 4th, Saturday Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford, Ireland Cornmarket Wexford, Reservations (053) 91 23764 --------------------------------------------------------------------- May 29,2009 Hello my little dumpling, doodoo, sausages. I write to you from the republic of Ireland, upon and antique chair acquired from Clare's parent's way back in Brighton fair city. We arrived her two days ago all three of us, the cat (Girlie) Clare and myself. The cat cost more than the two of us put together and she didn't even get fed on the plane. The choice of food on the plane was Chicken or Beef, just for a change. And they charged seven dollars for a bottle of very sweet, warm sauvignon Blanc. That didn't stop us from trying it over and over again though. I was chastised a couple of times for going to the toilet while the seat belt sign was on. But it was never actually turned off, so when were we to go? However being chastised on Aer Lingus is not uncommon, they are trained to use the Stockholm syndrome on the passengers, make them afraid of their captors and they will grow to love and obey! They had me so pinned down I was afraid to ask for water. And I am going back for more! I love them! They are my masters! Thanks to everyone who came to Tracks it was a special one, and thanks so much to Bruce for producing it. And congrats to lovely Jamie and her lovely friend on their book deal xx. And Copernicus on his fab new CD "Disappearance" which I worked on as musical director. Now the first Irish date is coming up at the great Sugar Club in Dublin on Sat June 20th. And again the owner in his generous spirit has allowed me to offer a special deal to my sausages. If you book here with us, it will be a mere 20-euro. It's 23 at the door and more from ticketmaster. So write here to piercenewyork@aol.com our normal gmail address is problematic right now. Please, Please honour your reservation, this is all based on trust. Most of you do honour it, but some didn't, and it will ultimately kill the system if people don't treat it like a real ticket. I have the piano coming up from Wexford, I have the band booked and I will be in right form, as will you. And we will sing our praises of summer and life. I love you so much I have to pinch myself. Cork is on the 28th at the glorious Pavilion, come on Cork boy, like, ye know what I mean? The last gig there was tre-tastic. XxxxxxPierce. Dublin City - The Sugar Club 8 Lower Leeson St. Saturday June 20th doors 8pm Tel. 01 678 7188 www.ticketmaster.ie Tel. 0818 719 300 or email us for direct booking piercenewyork@aol.com CORK CITY-THE PAVILION SUNDAY JUNE 28TH 8PM email us for direct booking piercenewyork@aol.com OR GO TO THE PAVILION WEBSITE --------------------------------------------------------------------- June 13, 2009 Thanks God for my sausages-they keep me alive!! The New York cat has gone over the school wall, she has never been over a school wall before or seen grass or felt it's furry dampness beneath her floppy little belly.. She lies in it and gets as close as she can to it at every opportunity. She seems to wonder where it's been all her life. She has very little climbing experience too, for that matter. So soon I expect to hear her plea for an explanation of why this house goes so far and high compared to the New York apartment (which has no sky) and why the wall was low on this side and high on the other. And then I will have to climb over the bloody thing and fish her out. She will think that's what God put me on this Earth for of course. And she definitely thinks that this is where God resides. She purrs and purrs all day long "Oh Ireland I've caught you like a cold in my furry brain" She met an Irish cat the other day and I imagined their conversation. "Dude! I couldn't help but notice, all the cats are either black or white around here! Wass up with-at? "I cuddint tell ya, where the hell are you from..fukkin Mars?? Next Saturday June 20th 2009 we will release the follow up single to "Fading Away" at The Sugar Club in Dublin. The track is called "Julie London" Already getting internet radio play in the US it's about an actress turned singer of the same name. Look her up on the net she has an amazing story; she was a very cool cat. In the 40's she was a GI pin-up movie star, Then turned sultry jazz/cocktail singer, every man in America fancied her, except her husband who never come home, that's what the song is really about. Her story really touched me so I found myself inspired; she threw away two careers at the drop of a hat. When she left movies she never went back and when she left music she never sang again. That's after making 32 albums!!! It will be a limited edition single (EP) just like "Fading Away" and the hard copies will not be in the shops. But will be available at shows. The Cd will have two extra tracks not available anywhere else; "Our Father" about the loss of spirituality in Ireland. I'm glad that I had the rights of passage, the plain chant and the discipline of silence. Too bad it's all gotten lumped in with the child abuse. "Big recession Bruise" a remake of "Big Big Bruise" and very different. The song "Julie London" will be available as a download in the near future. Also check out the next edition of Hot Press for an interview that I did with Jackie Hayden. It comes out on June 19th. I went on the warpath against Irish national radio, there is no music on Radio One anymore, and it could get me in trouble. When you are down in the country there are no musical choices! And this is NOT about my music. We have Radio One for the kids (not adventurous kids) Today FM for the zzzzzzzz Lyric FM for the 3% classical fans and nothing, no nothing for people who love rock music between the ages of 35 and 70! And that's generalising it could be 25 to 70! Have you got your tickets for The Sugar Club yet?? Reserve here if you wish we still have some 20-euro special sausage spaces. Reserve here for Sun June 28th at the Pavilion Cork. Or Wexford Art Centre July 4th Have to go now and get the Cat. Progression, not recession, nothing is easy but there is a reward for every new challenge and every change, keep doing what you have already done and you'll keep getting what you've already have, an all that jazz! I'll have NEW songs for you in Dublin! Love an all dat jazz. Pierce. PIERCE TURNER --------------------------------------------------------------------- July 1, 2009 I don't want to be famous so bad that I would cry for it! When I was a teenager I would, but not anymore, and I've become comfortable with the bed that I made. I sleep well and I can sleep anytime I choose to. If I wake up so what? I'll wait until I'm tired and then go back to bed. I had a big time manager once and he called me up one day to lay out his future plans for my career. It was everything that I had ever wanted in a manager at last, and when I got it, it scared the shit out of me. I took off all my clothes, put on my sleepy shirt and went straight back to bed. I love my bed too much to be famous. Sometimes I have lots of energy and I make loads of elaborate plans. I get on the phone and book a bunch of gigs, residencies and all kinds of stamina testing events. But inevitably between the sound check and the show, usually around the hours of 7 and 9, I start to get depressed and begin to wonder why am I doing this to myself, I could be at home all tucked up and watching the tellee in bed. I can't imagine that Madonna thinks like this! I love music and I love entertaining people. But unfortunately most of them live elsewhere and I hate the discomfort of travelling. Don't get me wrong, I have done it! Once I had a major record deal and I travelled all over the country in a bus. It was incredibly disruptive. Do you know what a phoner is? It's an interview on the telephone. Even though I was hardly setting the world on fire, I still had three or four phoners ever day. Often times when the rest of the band were asleep. And then we would get on the bus and drive hundreds of miles to the next venue. I hated having a band and a road crew. Young good-looking shites still getting a kick out of looking at each other's passport photos. The tour would try to get hold of my passport so that he could check me in at Airports-I told him to get lost. Then he got wind that I was into Yoga and a sort of a health food type-so he ordered me a vegetarian meal on the plane. I was livid; you know the shite that they serve to shut up veggies! Everyone starts to overthink-treating you like you're someone-when you're no one. It's very strenuous! At one point we had been on the road for two weeks I hadn't done my laundry yet. This English guy who was in the band had been on the road far more than me and he would get to the Motel washing machine before I was finished stretching my arms and saying "thank God we're here! I was getting really desperate. I had to become sharper and think ahead. The next time we stop I will forgo all normal activities-like checking in and taking my bag to my room. I must sit as near to the bus door as possible and get off with only one objective-find the washing machine! So that's exactly what I did. The only detour that I made was to enquire at the desk about it's whereabouts? I dragged my big brown suit bag-stuffed to the gills with smelly sweaty stage clothes plus T-shirts and underwear down the winding hall way past the vending machines to the little closed off laundry room. At last, I thought to myself I've had some savvy. But when I opened the door I was greeted with the familiar sound of a washing machine in motion-that familiar whir with little mettle things banging off the glass. I turned in disbelief to gaze into the suddy little gold fish bowl and there they were-the English guys tiny coloured thongs spinning around in a frolic of bubbles. This Saturday I will not have far to go! Just five minutes away is the Wexford Art Centre originally the Town hall-a dance hall from over a hundred years ago. It has a Yamaha piano and great sound and lights. I will check the sound and then come back home for a shower. Upon my return the place will be filled with wine drinking chatter. And at 8;30 Garvan Gallagher and I will take the stage, and the Victorian hall, filled with songs and story, off on a trip to outer space. I will be spoilt for choice on what to wear; Clare and I share the same machine. What a life! And what a lot of love I have for you. Pierce. PIERCE TURNER AT THE WEXFORD ART CENTRE CORNMARKET WEXFORD TOWN SAT JULY 4TH 8PM CALL FOR BOOKINGS 053—912-3764 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/18/2009 Ah, droll oul day today! Of course it's probably just my take on it, based on my point of view. Ah I don't know! I'd say that I have some company around here. I know that somewhere up there beyond the sheet of grey, sits a sun, shining away! And that grey is what leads me to believe that I have company in my mediocrity. But other than the fact that logistically all of us ‘round here have a huge grey slate above our heads right now-there may be no reason for us to share the same mood? I can't assume that if leave the house now that everyone I meet, will think this is a horrible day, just because I do. So maybe I'd better wait until I fix my head before I leave the house-might be in here all day…..could be. I don't really know if it's the weather! I'm more inclined to think that I need a good kick up the arse! Or a challenge…or a tragedy….or a fright! Oh I can think of loads of challenges, I am never short of ideas. But between me and every challenge stands a fierce competitor called FEAR. I have talked to myself a lot about this, asking the question."fear of what?" Often times taking a book and writing the answers down! The conclusions are nearly always the same, old staples like "fear of rejection" "fear of failure" or (in my head) seeing the action all the way through to it's unhappy ending, without moving a finger. They say that failure is merely part of an editing process, when you have X amount of failures you can then deduce what it takes to succeed. I think that this is true! But the process means that you need to accumulate a certain amount of failures in order to accrue one success! As you get older - the failures begin to mount up next to the successes and by far out-number them. It's not unreasonable, then, to feel that you have failed more than you've succeeded! If someone is still eternally positive after all that, they are not just living with a "half full glass" they have cut the glass in half and are in complete denial of the other half! I am ready now for a three quarter full glass-this is not a good day for me to argue with myself about the bottom half or top of that STUPID glass!!! Can we please have it close to the top for a change, so that I don't have to philosophise!…….especially with that great big-grey slate in the sky between me and the sun!!!! You know having said all that, it doesn't take much to cheer me up. Moaning to you, my dear sausages has definitely helped. Do you want to moan to me? Or just give us a kiss! Write me your moan or kiss piercenewyork@aol.com I can almost go out now! Love and xxxxxxxxxxxxxssssss Pierce. LEIXLIP the only other place in Ireland with an X besides Wexford. Pierce Turner, special performance Thurs. 30th July at 8.00pm Tickets €20 The Courtyard Hotel,(The Piano Bar) Leixlip Main Street, Co. Kildare. Reservations. email claregturner(at)gmail.com Direct Tel; 01 - 6295100 Direct Fax; 01 - 6295111 The Court Yard Hotel Leixlip, Co. Kildare 01 - 6295100 www.courtyard.ie info@courtyard.ie Breakfast - E99 for a double room Bed & Full Irish Breakfast with an evening meal - E149 (for 2 people) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/19/2009 History Of Guinness in Leixlip and the Court Yard Hotel When Archbishop Price died in 1752 he left £100, quite a sum then, to his servant, Richard Guinness and a similar amount to Richard's son, Arthur, who was then aged 27. Richard appears to be the oldest known Guinness having being born around 1690 and was living in Leixlip in 1766. He had arrived in Celbridge in 1722 and was employed by Archbishop Price as a land steward. One of his duties was to supervise the brewing of beer for workers on the Price estate. In the same year, the Archbishop took over James Carberry's brewery near the bridge in Celbridge, apparently inspired by the ability of Richard "to make a brew of a very palatable nature", which he was brewing in his brewery in Leixlip, where the Court Yard Hotel now stands. Could this "palatable" brew be either the black stuff or closely related to it? Arthur was born in Celbridge in 1725, he was 31 when jointly with his brother he established a brewery on Main St. Leixlip - the lease for the property dates from 13th September 1756 and the original lease for the site is displayed beside the main reception in the hotel with Arthur's signature on it. Three years later, Arthur then aged 34 left his younger brother, Richard, in charge of that enterprise and moved on and bought an existing, but run down brewery at St. James Gate in Dublin. It was there he established the world famous company. The start of the Guinness business is always taken as being 1759, the date of this move. He lived on the Gate premises for a while and brewed all types of beer including dark beer known as porters ale or porter. The colour was obtained by including in the mash, with the ordinary pale malt, a proportion of malt that was roasted until virtually black. There was a problem with the process - brewing was more an art than a science then - but Arthur was among the first Irishmen to become really good at producing black porter. His Guinness porter gained a foothold in the English market despite a tax on Irish beer and when it was removed in 1795 the Guinness brewery gave up ale to concentrated on brewing porter, much of it for the export trade. In Leixlip, the Guinness family owned the property on which the house owned by Dr. Mary Boyd is built. While Arthur set up the Gate brewery, his brother, Richard, ran the Leixlip brewery from 1759 to 1803 on his own. Wealth flowed for the family. By the end of the 1700s, they owned the coaching yard, on the site of the Court Yard Hotel, Dr. Boyd's house and twelve smaller houses or shops along the main street which still stand today. When Arthur died in 1803, aged 78, he was buried at Oughterard Cemetery near Kill, a mere 20 minute drive from the hotel, which is also the resting place of his wife, Olivia, who bore him 21 children following their marriage in 1761. At one stage he lived in the house in Celbridge, now the home of Progressive Democrat Senator, Kathleen Walsh. If some Guinness's took to drink, Arthur Guinness's eldest son, the Rev. Hosea Guinness (1765-1841) took to religion and was rector of St. Werburg's church in Dublin. The family link with Leixlip was re-ignited in 1958, when Hon. Desmond Guinness, then aged 27, the same age as Arthur when he got his inheritance, bought Leixlip Castle, where he still resides today with his wife Penny. The Castle can be seen from the bedrooms in the hotel. The site saw many changes of ownership over the years, everything from an arbitress to a nun's resident and some views of the changes on the site throughout the years can be seen in the Piano Bar of the hotel. Through the 1970's – 1980's the site ran into ruin and disarray but yet through it all the original walls of the brewery still stood. In the 1990's the site was finally bought over by its current owner, Mr. Luke Moriarty, who had a vision of a hotel on the site incorporating the original features, such as the stone walls of the brewery and incorporating them into a contemporary, modern hotel. With patience and care, the original walls of the brewery were restored to their former glory. Mr. Moriarty ensured that every door and window was reset to the way they were when Arthur and Richard owned the site. The hotel was awarded the amazing accolade of being "The most romantic hotel in Europe" by Prudence Magazine in 2006, At the Official Launch of the hotel on the 8th November 2005, the Hon Desmond Guinness unveiled a plaque that states the hotel is on the original site of Guinness. This plaque is displayed proudly over the fireplace in the main reception of the hotel. Pints of Guinness will be served over PIERCE TURNER at the Piano Thurs. 30th July at 8.00pm Tickets €20 The Courtyard Hotel,(The Piano Bar) Leixlip Main Street, Co. Kildare. Reservations. email claregturner(at)gmail.com Direct Tel; 01 - 6295100 Direct Fax; 01 - 6295111 The Court Yard Hotel Leixlip, Co. Kildare 01 - 6295100 www.courtyard.ie info@courtyard.ie Breakfast - E99 for a double room --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/28/2009 Pierce Turner perf 3 min world entirely Well for the first time in my life I am going to recreate one of my own albums from beginning to end, live. It's the kind of thing that I don't like to hear other people do usually. Todd Rundgren did it recently at one of his gigs in New York and I hated it, but it was a new album that I hadn't heard yet, and I'm not sure I ever will like it. Although I love Todd. However I would say that not many albums could be played live in the sequence that they were recorded in and work. I can tell you none of mine would….except 3 Minute World, Which I know, is a thematic album. But that's not only why it works-it just has the right ups, downs, mood changes and tempo variation. I was really surprised when I sang it through one day at the piano-how well it worked. I'm pretty fussy about putting myself on the line in front of people, so I wouldn't go near it if it didn't feel right….regardless of how dramatic the idea sounds. Who knows where this will lead, but maybe a re-release is due. Upon re-learning it-I was even impressed myself how much work had gone into it and at best it is our secret, it has never really been out there. I have a whole new album ready to record, but this my baby too! It's one of my CD sausages. For those of you who don't know. 3 Minute World was released in 2001 (or there about) It was a basically a statement of anti-greed and anti-overwork. And it cry's out for the world to give more attention to humanity, spirituality and to sloooow down and smell the flowers " what about the five day week? Or aimless walks on Saturday's! what about the Sunday drive? Or a pint at night in a pub where people speak! And….. "Sunday being a day of rest, confused me with an after taste And a caution for the killer fish, taking too much communal dish!" (Check that out Bernie Madoff!!) And of course it features the ultimate lazy song "Life in a day" If you get the album all the words are included. But for now I am announcing that I will perform 3 Minute World in it's entirety from beginning to end in sequence with a few story's here and there, at the Courtyard Hotel Piano Bar this Thursday for the first time. Hope I'll see you there. Love Pierce.xxxxx Pierce Turner Performs 3 minute world In it's entirety for the first time ever At The Courtyard Hotel,(The Piano Bar) Leixlip Main Street, Co. Kildare. Thurs. 30th July at 8.00pm Tickets €20 Reservations. email claregturner(at)gmail.com Direct Tel; 01 - 6295100 Direct Fax; 01 - 6295111 The Court Yard Hotel Leixlip, Co. Kildare 01 - 6295100 www.courtyard.ie info@courtyard.ie Breakfast - E99 for a double room Bed & Full Irish Breakfast with an evening meal - E149 (for 2 people) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/2/2009 It's Sunday and I nearly did lie in bed all day, for I went so far into yesterday's night that I ended up hanging over today with a very dry throat and percussive nerve playing the wipe-out drum solo on my temple. I appear to have talked more than I knew last night and I do wonder if I knew what I was talking about! But until I hear from some of the people that I encountered I can't say for sure. Anyway now I must not speak at all today, not only to give my voice a break but also to give myself a break from myself, whose opinion I have grown very tired of! We had such an incredible time at The Courtyard Hotel in Leixlip. It was the first time I ever played 3 Minute World all the through and it seemed to work really well. Then after that I played a few ravers and we all got up and danced our arses off. It was just magic-and thank you so much everyone who came out. This was our word of mouth secret and you didn't let me down. And a very special thanks to Frank Phelan who found the venue. It was proof that it really works to find our own special places. Who's next? I will be in Achill Island next Thursday and the following Tuesday august 11th at The Roisin Dubh in Galway, it's been a while since the last Galway gig, it's hard for me to get that far up in the corner of Ireland.. And I will be back down in this corner on Saturday August 22nd at the wonderful Colfers of Carrick on Bannow. This is a sweet little village right next to the sea and I am sure there are great B and B's around there. This is real Irish Pub with great atmosphere. John Murphy and his brother the owner's, are the son's of a famous harmonica player, Phil Murphy. And they are huge music lovers; they constantly bring in internationally known musicians. John and his brother also play harmonica and usually play a tune with me. The following week August 27th will take me to another far off corner and another legendary venue, started by none other than the bass player from Jimi Hendrix's band- Noel Redding. De Barras is in the beautiful town of Clonakilty in West Cork and this area is filled with sophisticated people from all over the world. It's a cosmopolitan crowd in a country of aimless Sunday walks.! There! I'm worn out just writing about it. I must go back to bedzzzzzzzzzzzz Oh also I must not forget NEW YORK! I will be at the fab Joe's Pub in Manhattan with it's lovely grand piano on Sat Oct 24th I hope this bring all the sausages out for the craic. We can take reservations for all these gigs except Joe's Pub. For that you have to book with Joe's. You are my sunshine! Pierce xxxxxx Coming up: Irish Summer ...August 11th, Tuesday Roisin Dubh - Dominick St. Galway, price €15 Tel. (091) 586540email gugai@roisindubh.netAugust 22th, Saturday Colfer's - Carrig-on-Bannow,l. (051) 561159 mobile (087) 8200986 email colferpub@hotmail.comAugust 27th Thursday De Barra's - 55 Pearse St.Clonakilty Co. CorkTel. (023) 33381 email eolas@debarra.ie show @10pm JOE'S PUB NEW YORK SAT OCT 24 TH AT 7PM --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/21/2009 I've been getting a lot of advice lately, sometimes very good and sometimes not a whole lot of use. But I always appreciate it! I notice now that I'm at a " you should" phaze. It inspired me to write this piece below. which "should" put your brain in a knot! I have the full string quartet booked for New York on Sat Oct 24th at Joe's Pub: Raimundo Penaforte on Violin and Mandolin, Cady Finlayson Violin, Rob Thomas on Viloa and Bass and Martha Colby on Cello. We will dust off some old (Swift) classics and hit some new ones too. Help prevent me from having a nervous breakdown (it's expensive!) and book now PLEASE! Enough grovelling. Remember if you are an Irish sausage these are my two last Irish dates. Tommorow Saturday in beautiful Carrig on Bannow and next Thursday Aug 27th at DeBarras in Clonakilty west Cork. After that I'm stopping f****ck the begrudgers-I'm knackered. Love. Pierce. Shudda Cudda Turner © 09 Before they thought I did and I would, Do all that I could But now they think I should! But sure I would if I could! Just because I couldn't Doesn't mean I didn't And just because I didn't When you all believed I wouldn't Doesn't mean I can't! And now you say I should! Like as if I had Then I would be more like What I could But if I did what I should When I did do what I could It would've meant doing what I should When I did do what I could It would've meant doing what I should! Instead of being who I am And doing what I can Colfers of Carrig On Bannow is all prepped for Aug 22nd at 8 PM (not 9 PM) The Piano is booked and I believe it will be jammers. Call John Murphy at 087-820-0986 West Corkers! I will be in Clonakilty at De Barras on Thursday Aug 27th at 9;30 PM Reserve with us also at same email address. New Yawk New Yawk I'm coming back to you my lovelies. I will be playing with the STRING QUARTET at Joe's Pub on Sat October 24th 7 PM. All the old string parts will be dusted off to awaken nostalgic nirvana. Enquiries at 212-539-8777 Tickets at 212-967-7555 I look forward to frying with you. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/11/2009 Hello my little sea-sick sailors. My puddin pies-my sausage delights-my sun in the morning my moon at night-my tickle in the tummy-my lemonade and honey-my pint of stout-my twist and shout-my aimless walk on sunday-my hammock in the country-how the hell are you? Here in Ireland I taketh a small breaketh! I am doing some writing, ultimately to be a book of words-stories,poems,song lyrics and yokes that fitteth not any description. And then next week I goeth to SPAIN for a week Yahoo. Returning to New York in October for my Big Gig with the String Quartet at Joe's Pub on Sat October 24th. Peter Myers at Myers of Keswick in the west Village (Hudson Street)known for the best sausages on the planet-has decided to make this very generous offer from sausage to sausage. If you show your ticket to Joe's Pub to him he will give you 50% off a pound of sausages!!!This sheds a whole new light on the possibility of Art and the Sausage working in tandem. Also and most importantly my first cousin Billy Roche the playwright of note is performing in New York at present and I giveth his info below. I really think would enjoy this performance. I rarely steer my sausages, but this you would love. The info is below. My cup ruuneth over in anticipation of our New York reunion-book now and save me a fortune in therapy! Love xxxxPierce New Yawk New Yawk I'm coming back to you my lovelies. I will be playing with the STRING QUARTET at Joe's Pub on Sat October 24th 7 PM. All the old string parts will be dusted off to awaken nostalgic nirvana. Enquiries at 212-539-8777 Tickets at 212-967-7555 Tales From Rainwater Pond Short stories written and performed by Billy Roche Directed and produced by Elizabeth Whyte Wednesday, September 02, 2009 through Sunday, September 13, 2009 (no show Thurs 3rd, Mon 7th and Tues 8th Sept.) Irish Repertory Theatre- W.Scott McLucas Studio - 132 West 22nd St (between 6th and 7th) New York. Part of 1st Irish Festival 2009 www.1stirish.org stories of love - lost, found or discarded, guilt, grieving, stealing, cheating, yearning, obsession and wishing Rugged and Melancholy, severe but generous - The Sunday Times Tickets: $25.00 Length: 1 hr 15 mins Intermission: None Seating: General Admission Tales from Rainwater Pond - US premiere of Wexford Arts Centre production of leading Irish playwright Billy Roche performing two stories Maggie Angre and Haberdashery from his critically acclaimed short story collection based on Irish small town scenarios. This production is part of the 1st Irish Festival 2009 - www.1stirish.org This beautifully written, or one might say crafted, collection tells of life at its most raw and exposed: stories of love - lost, found or discarded, guilt, grieving, stealing, cheating, yearning, obsession and wishing. Brought to you by a renowned Irish prolific writer for works that include the Wexford Triology, Poor Beast in the Rain, Amphibians and The Cavalcaders and Lay me Down Softly recently produced by the Abbey Theatre Ireland. Billy also wrote the screenplay for Trojan Eddie starring Stephen Rea and Richard Harris. Billy's short story Table Manners from the Tales from the Rainwater Pond collection also formed the basis for the script Eclipse by Conor McPherson which won critical acclaim at the New York Tribecca Film Festival 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/5/2009 Well I'm back on the oul American soil. The sun is shining and we had the air conditioner on last night. I forgot that the summer stretches all the way into October in New York. It's kind of the opposite to Ireland these days where the Winter is the stretcher, stretching all the way from October to …..I suppose October? Although a good Irish Summer's day is as good as lovely spring day in New York, Whereas a hot Summer's day in New York is like walking under water in a 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a new video up on You Tube which is worth checking out, made by the great film director PJ Dillon it was basically lost until recently, maybe even a lost masterpiece, I don't know-but it's definitely excellent. It is from 3 Minute World and most of you will know it as "ball and chain"(snakes and ladders) not the live version that's up there, The difference in the title is that snakes and ladders is after it in brackets. Go take a look Clare is even in it. And you get to see my beautiful Wexford. I am heading up to Washington Heights soon to rehearse with the string quartet for Joe's Pub on October 24th. We have all the star players, Rainmundo Penaforte on violin and mandolin, Cady Finlayson on Violin, Rob Thomas on Viola and electric Bass and Martha Colby on Cello. Think of this as a Swift, Puck Fare reunion. We will do all the classics and knock the shit out of the recession weehaw!!!Book now or I'll break your neck when I see you. Only kidding, I love you too much to even break your hoola hoop! But I beg you to book in advance so that my bank manager doesn't throw me in jail before the gig for taking on the expense of such a lavish line-up. I did it for my sausages! I will scream as he drags me to the debtor's prison. If you have a fave string quartet song that you must hear-let me know now before I rehearse-and we will see what we can do. Let's act like there's no recession for just one night. You are the Love of the loved multiplied by a thousand. Xxxxxxxx Pierce. New Yawk New Yawk I'm coming back to you my lovelies. I will be playing with the STRING QUARTET at Joe's Pub on Sat October 24th 7 PM. All the old string parts will be dusted off to awaken nostalgic nirvana. Enquiries at 212-539-8777 Tickets at 212-967-7555 PIERCE TURNER WITH THE STRING QUARTET JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE STREET SAT OCT 24T AT 7PM TKTS AT THE PUBLIC THEATRE BOX OFFICE -SAME ADDRESS --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Days to Joe's Pub Legendary quote from Bob Dylan "Book your tickets and half price sausages now, never before has music and meat been so co-operative. Could this be the future of CD sales? "A pound of sausages and the new Pierce Turner CD please!" Saturday, 17 October 2009. Watched the soccer from England's premiership this morning, great match. We changed the bed. Miss the little cat when we're doing that. She would always stick her head down in the corner when I pull the mattress out to tuck the sheet. Just her bum and tail would stick up in the air. She stayed in Ireland, she just loves the place. We didn't have the heart (or the money) to bring her back. Our good friend Anne is minding her. They tell me that the tickets are going well for Joe's Pub. And did you remember the sausage deal? If you bring your ticket for Joe's Pub to Myers of Keswick, the best home made English sausages in town. Peter the proprietor (a star sausage himself) will sell them to you for half price! These are killer sausages. Many's the celebrity can be seen in there acquiring the great pies and sausages that Peter learned to make from his Father, who had his own butcher shop in Keswick England. Peter is also a very keen music fan and was one of the proprietors of the legendary Bells Of Hell with Malachy Mc'Court. We played there a lot as Turner and Kirwan of Wexford. Just google Myers of Keswick for details. I had Raimundo and Rob here for a rehearsal on Wednesday, they sounded great and I rehearse with Fred Parcells next Tuesday. Doing a couple of new ones. It's goin to be bursting with savage enthusiasm. Book your tickets and half price sausages now, never before has music and meat been so co-operative. Could this be the future of CD sales? "A pound of sausages and the new Pierce Turner CD please!" I love you so much it makes me dizzy! Pierce. PIERCE TURNER AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN Sat Oct 24th AT 7PM SHARP Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 Remember you don't have to have dinner to sit. You can book a booth just for drinks --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/21/2009 I slept like a bugger last night. Woke up in the middle as usual, around 4am, the time that half the world is supposed to be awake. Read a little bit of my new book Ian McEwan's "on chesil beach" he found out that his Mother was brain damaged and I went back to bed. Dropping half a calmex to make sure I stay there. And stay there I did, be Jasus I found it hard to get out of bed at half nine! Had the tea and decided to take a yoga class to find me centre. I've been waiting for two or three weeks to hear from Philip Glass about playing at Carnegie hall in February, it was taking so long I thought it wasn't going to happen. Maybe I was a little bummed and that was why I was going to the Yoga class. So I put my gear on, loose fitting clothes, coat and sun glasses and was on my way out when Clare handed me the phone with Philip on the other end. "Yes, you are on for February 26th, we'll have string quartet there or you can use the Patty Smith Band, Lenny Kaye and bass and drums rehearsal is on the 25th. Would you like me to play with you on Yoga with a broken heart?" Yes, yes and yes said I. I am ready for Carnegie hall, I have practiced enough! Thank you Philip, God bless you all belonging to you. It's the Annual concert for Tibetan house organised my Robert A .F . Thurman (Uma's Da) A very glorious affair which in the past has had people like Ray Davies, David Bowie, Sufjan Stevens, Damien Rice, Michael Stipe and on and on. Add my name to that list of sausages for next February 26th go look at this site, when you have a chance. http://www.tibethouse.org/Programs/Annual_Concerts.html Anyway one way or another it will be thrill to play to a sold out house in Carnegie Hall. Let's hope we have a sold out show at Joe's Pub in the meantime, it's filling up! I have a great set for you, mixing some surprising old ones and some brand new. Are ye coming ? Don't forget after the show we will go to the Scratcher on 5th Street around the corner just below Bowery. See you there. Love. Pierce. PIERCE TURNER AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN Sat Oct 24th 2009 AT 7PM SHARP Tkts 212-967-7555 Or at the Public Theatre Box Office www.joespub.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11/20/2009 The things I did today Woke up,got out of bed Dragged a comb across my head Found my way downstairs And bought some milk Looking at my watch I noticed I was late Grabbed an egg and had a bath Made the bus in seconds flat Made my way uptown To 10th and 53rd To a well known studio Where people do record Met a bunch of other men Learned a song That was not too long The man who sang lead Is famous an all Goes by the name Of Will Ferrel Everyone was real impressed That I was different than the rest We were all supposed to be From the holy ground And the only one who was Was me they found Wednesday next at 6 AM Me and Will will be shooting a filim All day long till the sun goes down Checking my watch To see how much I'll earn Thanksgiving day I'll be on the plane Flying through the air to play in Kildare December Three let me see, let me see Leixlip Village is the place I will be The Courtyard Hotel In it's Piano Bar Slick environs to have a jar Turn the lights down low And the piano up loud Next thing you'll know It's a manic crowd Hit the floor and kick the heels Up on the tables Dance on the keys Brand new songs And songs of old Down from Drumsna Comes Duignan Noel From New York Town With Police cars screaming To little Leixlip With the Guinness streaming It's really true though The tale I tell I'm Makin a filim with Will ferrel And while I'm awake In the middle of the night Let me just say what's wrong and right France used a hand To beat Ireland! Pierce Turner Christmas comes early Thurs. Dec 3 at 8.00pm The Courtyard Hotel,(The Piano Bar) Leixlip Main Street, Co. Kildare. Direct Tel; 01 - 6295100 Direct Fax; 01 - 6295111 The Court Yard Hotel Leixlip, Co. Kildare 01 - 6295100 www.courtyard.ie info@courtyard.ie Breakfast - E99 for a double room Bed & Full Irish Breakfast with an evening meal - E149 (for 2 people) Mention the gig --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/3/2009 Time for songs! There outside on the bright and early Lies a heart that's light and cheery The bird's put on a morning song From roof to roof And branchin on and on and on To the Russian Ivy Growing on the garden wall The garden is a concert hall For all who turn on The silence When the world insists on squawking When the tone deaf have the floor Close your eyes and open your mind Listen to the first song you find inside It's tax free and in your own key Arranged by you to suit your mood Follow it through to a glorious landing A priceless perk for those who can imagine It's time for song Radio One! Hopefully I will see many of my beloved sausages tonight in Leixlip. It's all I want for Christmas! I love you so much it's a crime. Pierce. Pierce Turner, special performance Thurs Dec 3rd at 8.00pm Tickets €20 The Courtyard Hotel,(The Piano Bar) Leixlip Main Street, Co. Kildare. Reservations. email claregturner(at)gmail.com Direct Tel; 01 - 6295100 Direct Fax; 01 - 6295111 The Court Yard Hotel Leixlip, Co. Kildare 01 - 6295100 www.courtyard.ie info@courtyard.ie Breakfast - E99 for a double room Bed & Full Irish Breakfast with an evening meal - E149 (for 2 people) Please mention the gig. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/10/2009 Christmas is coming again I can feel it in the Irish rain. My summer house is soaked, the paint may not hold. Yesterday the budget came down hard on almost everyone, time to paint the Town red! Next Saturday Dec 19th I'm goin to play my annual Wexford Christmas gig here in Wexford appropriately. And I enclose the lyrics for my Christmas song in case you're around and want to sing along. Let's knock back the grog and port at the Wexford Art Centre. It'll be brillo. I'm your slave. Pierce xxxxx ALL WE WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (IS TO BE FAMOUS) by Pierce Turner We really don't care how it goes If we're Johnny Cash's or Nora Jones' Just give us the dosh and the fancy clothes' But don't let it take too long We're in a hurry to prove them wrong We really are someone Oh God it would be so much fun To be some kind of star And drive a fancy car Arrive in a big black bus Have everyone fancy us All we want for Christmas is to be famous We don't care where it comes from Louis, Simon or Sharon Osborne EATING Ant and Dec's creepy crawly insects But don't let it take too long We're in a hurry to get it on We really are someone Oh God it would be so much fun To be some kind of star And drive a fancy car Arrive in a big black bus Have everyone fancy us All we want for Christmas is to be famous AND WHEN WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION WHEN WE HAVE YOUR EAR MANY'S A MAG WILL MENTION HOW WE WALK AND HOW WE TALK HOW WE EAT AND HOW WE DANCE AND WHERE OH GOD IT WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN TOOOOOOO Lyrics by Pierce Turner©2006 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/21/2009 So dearest things can you hustle up some more votes for the album of the decade nomination in New York urgently? We had a bit of a surge but now we're slipping. Here is the address again http://www.irishcentral.com/ent/music/ Have you got the time to read this? Did you do your Christmas shopping yet? And have you got the office party coming up? There's the house to clean, the groceries to buy, yourself to wash and maintain, the phone to answer, emails to read and write, the TV to watch-who's got time to listen to music? Or to stop and dream? And do we want to dream and laugh and cry and drop the ball when we have been told to pull up our socks because we have been enjoying ourselves too much? I saw a guy on the street the other night and he said that he was in a hurry to go home to bed! He was in a lather of sweat as he rushed along the by-way at the far side of my footpath. I envisioned him scrambling through his front door, hastily discarding his coat across the kitchen chair and leaving a trail of clothes along the floor as he frantically raced to his bedroom so that he could leap into his bed as quick as possible and squeeze his eyes closed with great determination and haste for a nice restful nights sleep, phew! Do you think he pulled it off? I played in Wexford last Saturday and it was a fairly special gig in many ways. But the most important thing for me was the musicality of it and the newcomers. I need new sausages to take the pressure of my old ones who seem to have an awful lot of distractions. "Oh I thought it was next Saturday!" or "my Sister's husband had their office party" Give me a call shur and I'll come play in your house, you would just have to remember to stay in that night??? I'm a sarcy bugger aren't I? So dearest things can you hustle up some more votes for the album of the decade nomination in New York urgently? We had a bit of a surge but now we're slipping. Here is the address again http://www.irishcentral.com/ent/music/ Now if you are in Ireland I'm sure you will be all sausaged out after Christmas and there is nothing as depressing as a limp lethargic sausage. On Dec 29th, which can be a very dull day indeed, I am playing at the cosy plush Sugar Club in Dublin. Get all the Christmas parties together and lets knock the spots off that place. You can book here and avoid the Ticketmaster charge write to claregturner@gmail,com I hope Santa brings you hope and happiness and don't forget spare a thought for the poor buggers who have no homes, food or money. A kind word costs us nothing. And I love you more than you will ever know. Merry Christmas. Pierce. The Sugar Club Leeson St Dublin Saturday Dec 29th Doors 8pm The Christmas Show with Pierce Turner the head sausage. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/25/2009 With your body full of Turkey, wind and wine and your mind tired from bad Christmas TV and exhaustive discussions about the gravy and the cold. You might want to consider the idea of taking your mind out of the house for the amusement of foreign faces and furniture, fresh air and sonic rapture (hopefully) And of course your body might be pleased with a bit of movement too. Who knows you might even find yourself wiggling in time! And between one thing and the other you could find that the circulation of fresh oxygen and blood to your tired and lethargic body-parts, might block off any seasonal boredom before permanence takes hold! Or in other words if you get out of the house and come down to the Sugar Club on December 29th you might be able to come back to life again and burn a few calories as you smile your way back to planet earth. It's weird that it was only last Christmas that I played at the Sugar Club for the first time. I am pasting down below the letter that I wrote to you just before it. I thought night amuse you. Book with us and avoid the Ticketmaster charge. Only four days to go! Will love you then! Merry Christmas from Clare and Pierce. xxxxxxxxx Dublin City - The Sugar Club 8 Lower Leeson St. Tuesday, Dec. 29th Doors at 8pm Tel. 01 678 7188 www.ticketmaster.ie Tel. 0818 719 300 I got so bloody drunk the other night by accident! I know that I have to be under control more than usual this Christmas. It's not normal for me to have a gig right after Christmas for this very reason, but it's usually so boring after the big dinner day. I have been thinking every year that I would rather be playing a gig than sitting with my arms around my belly and not an inch of cerebrality in my brain. Anyway I panicked the other night and thought that I'd better get drunk fast because I need a few days of reasonable sobriety before December 29th at the Sugar Club. I mean people don't want to see me with a hangover-falling sideways off a table. So I rushed in to the red wine headlong with our friends Brian and Eleanor (their 3 beautiful kids stayed sober) out in their lovely house in Rathangan about 12 miles outside Wexford (over 400 of you have looked at their Parlour gig on You Tube) and then Brian said let's go around the corner to Sinnots for a pint. So he called English Mike and he was miracously sober. We had a few pints in this fantastic bar that is right out of an Irish play. Then we returned to Brian's house where we grabbed a taxi back to town. Now I was in right form having run into several people that I knew in Sinnots-the juices were flowing and I was running out of time getting even closer still to the gig on the 29th. So Clare went home and I asked the driver to drop me downtown to Simon Lamberts where I thought I might catch my friends Jimmy Lacey and Joe Murray, knowing that they would have only barely got their arses in the door as it was just before midnight (some Irish people think that they are Spanish and don't go out until 11;30) there they were, in all their glory and I frantically beckoned the bartender. "Give the lads whatever they're drinking! and I'll have a red wine please" "which kind would you like" he said, as he spun three small bottles of red before me. I looked for a second and thought to myself that I just wasted a precious moment, bringing me even nearer to my self imposed curfew. Just give me which ever one you think is best I said "ah I'd say the Chilean" said he and the next day I felt like I had been to Chile and back having being captured and hung upside down in a dank musty cell by General Pinochet himself. The hang over has lasted three days at this point and I'm sure I poisoned myself. It's tough! The party's are beckoning in every direction. I will have to be measured, one glass of wine and one glass of water, that kind of thing. Ah but it will be worth it. The tickets are going really well, I can get pissed on New Years Eve, can't I. So dearest dear little sausages think of me when you drink your cheer….suffering for art and sausages. Enjoy the shit out of yourselves, knowing that someone in Ireland who is very sober LOVES you to death. Merry Christmas. Pierce. Dublin City - The Sugar Club 8 Lower Leeson St. Tue Dec. 29th Doors at 8pm Tel. 01 678 7188 www.ticketmaster.ie Tel. 0818 719 300 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/29/2009 A Christmas story from Pierce Pat is going to meet me in Enniscorthy with the horsebox. He called me this morning and said "God Piersh (that's how Pat speaks) it looks fierce shlippery out dere! Did ye ever tink about the electric Piano? Ye know I delivered that Piano to that Woman in Glynn and while I was goin up that small road into her place, shur the ould trailer did a bit of a jacknife, Jaysus she shlammed right into the arse of the jeep and rightly fucked the back lights! Mind you it's not too bad, the lights on the trailer are shtill operating" But Pat the gig is not until tomorrow! "Oh be gob is it not Piersh? No Pat it's the 29th this is the 28th! Oh shur it could be gorgeous tomorrow Piersh! Dass no problem! Listen Piersh, what time will you be going?" "I was thinking of leaving here at 2;30 Pat, and then I'd be in Enniscorthy at around three!" "Jaypers weren't we late the last time after I had that blow-out on the trailer? Remember we had to stop somewhere and change the ould tyre? What if I were to go on ahead of you Piersh and meet further up the road?" Great I idea Pat said I (after all it was Pat's idea to be chaperoned from Enniscorthy as he was nervous about finding his way around Dublin) how about meeting at the Silver Tassie? "dat's the idea Piersh, exactly!" "Talk to you tomorrow" Last year our rendezvous at Enniscorthy was fouled up by a small misunderstanding. Pat said to meet at a garage on the left going out of Town. There was none, it was on the right. We went up to the roundabout on the edge of Town and knew something was amiss. I called home on the mobile and he said that we went too far; he was in a garage on the right! I bit my tongue and waited for him. Ten minutes later he sped past us, eyes fixed forward without any concern for waiting musicians on his right. I got out of the car and waved frantically. No use! We sped on after him as quick as we could and eventually apprehended his awareness. At that point Clare said "take a look at the reservation list for tonight and count how many there are!" Couldn't find it anywhere "What? Try under the seat!" "Nope, it's not anywhere to be found" "Fuuuck! We have to turn around, it must'v blown out when we were waving at him!" So we flashed the lights and got Pat to pull over, as I walked back to explain what happened another man who had been stopped at that exact spot in the middle of butt fuck nowhere, was sliding a dead cat out of the middle of the road with his foot. "Hello Pierce" said he "Gor I haven't seen you in ages!" me being in an absolute panic about the loss of the list, was not in the mood for this kind of casual small talk and was struggling to stave off rudeness. "You must remember me I met you at such and such a Party at your Brothers house in Wexford!" "Oh yeah" I said and kept walking back towards Pats Jeep, he followed me and said, "Hello Pat how are ye?" like this was no great coincidence at all! " Gor John !" said Pat casually " Long time no see! Where are ye headin for? At this point I barged between their "we're no hurry at all chat" Pat! "We've lost the reservation list! We have to drive back about twenty miles and pray to the all merciful God on high, that we find it on this very windy day!" "No problem Piersh, we'll carry, we're driving so slow that you'll catch up on us anyway" I rushed back to the car and just as I was hurriedly clipping my safety belt, the other man stuck his head through the window and said casually " do ye ever play up the Cavan way at all anymore?" Clare annoyiedly just stuck her foot on the pedal and left him in a stooped position. I stuck my head out the window and shouted back "No! Not really!" By some miracle of the highest order we found the list blown up against a bush where it was stopped on it's journey towards a field that was housing a massive bull with great big panoramic hungry eyes. Phew! I have to get ready now for tomorrow. Pat's putting the Piano in the horse box. If you want to be on that res list. We have to know before noon tomorrow. It may end up in a field, but that's what's exciting about being a sausage! Merry Christmas again!!! Love Piercexxxxx Dublin City - The Sugar Club 8 Lower Leeson St. Tuesday, Dec. 29th Doors at 8pm Tel. 01 678 7188 www.ticketmaster.ie Tel. 0818 719 300 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/15/2010 Pierce Turner will appear alongside Patti Smith and Philip Glass at the prestigious Tibet House benefit at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 26th 2010 Pierce Turner's 2001 album 3 Minute World was voted one of the top three albums of the decade in New York's Irish Voice. Pierce takes part in the new Will Ferrell movie "The Other Guys" set for a Summer release. Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Michael Keaton. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/18/2010 Dear Little delicate things, Before this letter, which will be in two parts because it's long. If you are in new York for Carnegie Hall on Feb 26th Iggy Pop has been added to the line-up. Also I will be doing a very special Piano gig in Cavan Town on January 28th Chapter 1 Cafe Unit 1, Convent Building, Main Street, Cavan Phone: +353 49 4373488 Mobile: +353 86 6013884 FAX: +353 49 4373488 E-mail: info@chapteronecafe.ie Part 1 Abandonment "It doesn't matter what our specific fate is, as long as we face it with total abandon!" Apparently Don Juan once said this to Carlos Castaneda while they were both out having a pint at the local pub. I have been trying to brainwash myself with this philosophy lately and no question about it there has been ample opportunity for me to call on these words for guidance. On December 29th ?09 I played a gig at the Sugar Club in Dublin. When I woke up that morning I sensed almost immediately from the sound of the wind and the pallor of the grey daylight, that it could be a dodgy day. Right away the phone rang a little bit earlier than musician - time. It was my friend Pat the piano man. "Hello Piersh it's Pat here" " hello Pat , howarye ?" Oh not too bad Piersh how are you? ye remember I was telling you about the trailer jacknifing above on the Glynn road the other day? Well I thought everything was secure and sound, but when I shtarted up the jeep this morning the hand brake was frozen and she wouldn't budge an inch!" "shit dass bad news alright Pat" "I tried driving her anyhow, but shur the smell of burning was nottin only dire! Absolute dire! I'm not coddin ye now! Maybe if I can get someone to climb under her, or something we can fix it, but I'd be having me doubts!" Now I just want to say here that Pat is not very easily put off! He would bend over backwards to keep his commitment. So if he's in doubt, there must be a real reason. "would you !?.. Ever consider playing an electric piano Piersh?" (dej a vu!) Don Juan comes to mind -total abandon! "Jays Pat. I hate the fuckin tings, they sound so small!" Then I look out the window and notice it is the worst weather since Noah took out the Arc, wind blowing in four different directions, up, down, left and right! Dark and leashing rain trying to wash our house down the hill, cars driving by with full beams cutting through the dark day like searchlights seeking bombers in a black out. And I think "who in their right mind is going to leave the fire tonight and come to my gig? They're all nesty enough with their big Christmas bellies begging for more bread wine and cheese. Now they have an ally in the weatherman whom I'm sure is saying with savour "don't go out unless you absolutely have to!" I think of the cost of the electric Piano versus the Acoustic! It might be wise to keep the over-head down just in case. And then I think of Pat pulling the trailer up through Co Wicklow with the wind blowing in four directions and that's only IF he can get someone to crawl under the jeep and fix it!." Tell me Pat are the keys weighted on the electric?" "Yis they are Piersh, she ?s top of the range! But I might be still able to get this oul jeep going ye know !" "ah don't worry Pat, I'll go with the electric!" "Whatever you think yourself Piersh, shur ye kin come up and take a look at her, can't ye!" That day we were bringing our friend Barbara to the Airport as well, she had been staying with us for Christmas and was heading back to England. So the little black Alpha Romeo was going to be pretty full with my equipment, Barbara and her very large case, Clare and myself! Where would this Piano go? Don Juan comes to mind again. It turns out the back seats collapse on the car so we were able to slide the piano in sideways and fit the lot of us in with reasonable comfort. There was only one snag, the heater wasn't working in the car and it was bloody well freezing, even with the blankets and the hot water bottles! Was God trying to tell me I should cancel this gig? Something I really, really hate to do! No! I was going to carry on with?well, maybe not total abandon, but at least with some! The rest tomorrow!! Love. Piersh --------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 2 of the Abandonment letter. The last time I played at the Sugar club I had a sound engineer that was difficult to work with, I was nearly driven demented. The previous time I had had someone who was brilliant! and I had now told the manager if I couldn't have the good one this time, I would have to bring my own. He assured me I would have the good one and confirmed that nothing had changed just two days ago when I double-checked, to be certain-sure. Assembling the stand for the electric Piano was a feat of engineering which required one to think from the inside out and to pull legs in a direction that felt as un-natural as bending your shins forward at the knee! But up I got her! And it was only then I realised that there was no Piano stool, something that usually comes automatically with the acoustic. I got myself a nice red velvet chair, but it was very low! The Sugar Club is not like most venues, there are no superfluous yokes lying around for improvising around moments like this. So I had to find things. I had a towel in my bag, which was a bright blue. Garvan Gallagher (bassist) gave me a black amp cover, which went over the towel, still not high enough! Clare suggested adding the hot water bottles "good idea!" stuck them into the mix, still not high enough! Found a large black cardigan in the cloakroom, wrapped that around the whole thing and decided to lower the piano a couple of notches. It was passable, ! but it was not looking great I must say. A young bespectacled gentleman in Doc martin boots comes up to me and introduced himself, just as I was coming to terms with another request for abandonment regarding the make-shift Piano seat -. " Pierce?" "Yes" "Hi. I'm mixing your sound tonight!" I abandoned all reservation with my expression of disappointment "But what happened to Ian?" "All excited about his Brother being in town tonight, ye know, rock stars and all that! His Brother is the lead singer in the Script ye know!" (I couldn't give a shit if his brother is God almighty himself-imagine if I was to send in someone else to play the gig tonight! Don't people realise that it's not just A sound engineer! They are not all the same! I want a specific one! This is not a casual matter!) Don Juan throws me a very dirty look now "sorry wass yer name again?" I noticed that he's serious enough to bring his own special mics for the absent acoustic Piano (a sign of someone who cares) I decide he's a nice guy and appears to! be a professional. Still because he doesn't really know my sound and I am already up against it anyhow with the electric Piano being a stranger to me; the sound check is a laborious time consumer, which barely finishes in time to open the doors to the poor soldierly sausages huddled outside in the leashing, horizontal rain. There were people! I was really shocked and relieved to hear them coming in. I decided to pull back the curtain in the dressing to peek at the audience for a rough assessment of the attendance. It looked decent, someone noticed me gawking, I jerked back quickly and BANG! The loudest racket you ever heard in yer life, it was the acoustic guitar falling from a very tall cocktail table for what seemed like an eternity and hitting the floor with the drama and finality of a train falling off a bridge into a cavernous valley. "oh fuck!" said I, and Garvan concurred. I picked it up like a dead baby, there was a rattle. At this point I wanted to strangle Don Juan- "all the abandonment in the world is not going to bring back my guitar! I suppose you think I should play the piano all night and just leave out the guitar songs! Well tell that to those people out there who will only get half a show!" I was now having full fledged arguments with Do Juan. While Garvan was attending t! he funeral of my guitar I said (hopefully) "ah it's only the battery that's broken loose from it's mooring" (hail mary?to hell with Don Juan) after holding it upside down and trying to manoeuvre the loose object through the sound-hole for what seemed like an eternity, I finally copped the idea of loosening a couple of strings so that I could cup my hand and reach in to claw the battery out (thank you Mary, it is the battery!) and put it back where it belonged. We go on stage to enthusiastic appplause. I softly run the back of my hand across the guitar to make sure it was working and it blood well wasn't! Oh no! I quickly explain to the audience that it did have a terrible fall in the dressing room- they could feel their show dwindling away- I fiddled with the controls-an eternity had passed, I could feel my body heating up-what a way to start a show! After me turning it off and the sound-man turning it on and me turning it on and the sound-man turning it off a couple of times, it turns out that I had been panicking because of the fall and had merely only failed to turn it on in the first place. Now when we both coincided in the on position, the sweet sound of acoustic strings emanated from the house PA. Everyone cheered and I joked that I was only kidding in the first place as I dragged my arse over to the piano for the first song, but Don Juan wasn't finished trying me yet! Ironically the first song in the set is called "Mayhem" I start to sing the first line; "Try to be bland and plain while my whole worlds in a hurricane" and then PICHOO***/?'@// as soon as I put my arse on the hot water bottle/blue towel, cardigan combo, the microphone transmitter in my back pocket made an absolutely ear-splitting electronic bang,. I made some kind of inane remark, knowing that it was way too soon for another joke. "Mayhem in my flat and tanks out on the heath" PICHOO***/?'@// This time I chose to say nothing and stood up instead, lifting my behind up off the seat and stooping over the keyboard in a half standing-half stooped position, and acting like I was completely comfortable, desperately hanging on to total abandon After that I explained to the audience how I had written the next song in New York on a depressing Monday and that when I sing "I think I'm drowning in a pool of Mondays rain" they should answer "he thinks he's drowning in a pool of Mondays rain" Knowing how much Dublin audiences love to sing I was really looking forward to this. I started the song and came up to the chorus, stopping the drum machine in preparation for the audience participation; "I think I'm drowning in a pool of Mondays rain" " He thinks he's? PICHOO***/?'@// I accidentally sat on the precarious pile, through the huge electronic bang I could barely hear the audience singing their hearts out (fuck, fuck .feck it! I thought to myself) another perfect moment ruined! But I kept going and eventually it was a great, even brilliant gig, with the longest request for an encore I have ever had. So I do believe that I deserve a Don Juan meddle now. A couple of people came up afterwards and said that it was a great! gig but that it started off a bit rough. I joked that I like to start rough so that I have some room to improve. For the life of me I don't know why. But it does seem that this kind of stuff happens to me an awful lot. I'm sure to the person out in the audience that I come across as being not that fussy or very laissez faire. But it's not true! I spend hours and hours going over all the things that I would like to do and the prevention of things that might go wrong. However I do like to keep things interesting by changing the set a lot. And I like to have a wireless guitar and microphone so that I can abolish the constraints of the stage-I can choose to sing wherever I like in the room. I suppose if you add these things up, they also allow for more things to go wrong. When I was touring America in 1988 to promote "The sky and the ground" Members of my backing band pleaded with me regularly to nail down a set so that we could work up a really slick show, this is what bands normally do! I would get bored very quickly and I'm sure the music would become cold-but slick, and less mi! stake-prone! If anything I suppose that is the problem. I would rather have an exciting flaw than slick predictability. Is this a bit of a death wish or am I just naturally inclined towards Don Juan's philosophy "It doesn't matter what our specific fate is, as long as we face it with total abandon!" Mayhem © Turner 88 Try to be bland and plain While my whole world's in a hurricane Mayhem in my flat And tanks out on the heath Dia smuire aoimh Connasa ta tu today Ricochet the words Like bullets in my head While I'm getting all the news Of what's really goin on In the afterbirth of the seventh year And the changes that I can't stop So wave and smile Like the queen out on a drive Dia smuire aoimh Connasa ta anois Time will tell But I wish that time would speed And heal the way it steals While it provides Try to be bland and plain While my whole worlds In a hurricane Hands up all of you Who know what I'm talking about? Let me grab you so we can share I hear the souls out in the cemetery Reaching out to calm I know there's something going on That hasn't happened all before To men at war And Gods on earth To big pop stars and celibate nuns To the writers of relief To you and me But still I feel alone Try to be bland and plain While my whole worlds In a hurricane *** Pierce Turner newsflash *** Pierce Turner will appear alongside Iggy Pop, Patti Smith and Philip Glass at the prestigious Tibet House benefit at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 26th 2010 Pierce Turner's 2001 album 3 Minute World was voted one of the top three albums of the decade in New York's Irish Voice. Pierce takes part in the new Will Ferrell movie "The Other Guys" set for a Summer release. Starring Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and Michael Keaton. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/12/2010 They tell me I won't be let into China now! I had such an amazing night at Carnegie Hall it was worth it. The Dalai Lama didn't make it but Iggy Pop was pretty close. I bet that stage hasn't been spat on for a while. And the Dalai lama apparently has never been seen spitting! Nor does he sing a song called "I wanna be your dog" But Iggy and I like the Dalai Lama and since he and I can never go to China now we are going to settle for a delivery of sweet and sour something. This Saturday I am playing with the string Quartet at the Lexington Armoury. We had a brilliant rehearsal yesterday and we are going to do a kind of Best Of. Including fun covers like Say you don't Mind, Lithium, Band of Gold and on and on. I am all fired up after seeing Iggy and after playing on that beautiful stage and I am going to knock that bloody place down. If you are in Manhattan you have to come and that's all there is to it. Sorry I haven't much time to write lately, I will be back on track again soon. Come dance with me on Saturday at 8;30 PM. I love you so much it's keeping me awake at night. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Pierce. P,S when you spell check Iggy-it suggests Piggy! Piggy Pop? --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/21/2010 If I was more confident about my spelling I might write more easily and more often. But the spell check has wrecked my confidence about the standard that I had set for my own level of incorrect spelling. This bloody thing seems to get confused sometimes about the most elementary words; words like ambition or aptitude-you never know what word it's going to yellow out and then have no answers when you query for alternatives. I am almost certain that I'm dyslexic-but then again so are two thirds of the planet. If almost two thirds of the planet thinks backwards-why is forward the norm?. I have written a song called Philip Glass is a class act .. And then it goes?. Famous people can be such a pain in the ass like But not Philip he's a class act! I have written this song because Philip has been so good to me it's insane. I said to him recently "thank you so much for Carnegie hall" he replied " I'm a friendly guy, but I'm not that friendly, I'm doing it because I like your music" Of course I am like all human beings in that I can't believe that's completely true. As Sandra Bullock said when she got the Academy Award " Did I deserve this or did I just wear you down?" That's the way I feel with Philip. This week I nailed him down to come into the Studio with me on April 16th to record the song that we played in Carnegie Hall. The New York Times said that it was "a cross between Joni Mitchell and Opera." Rolling Stone said that it was "soaring and reminiscent of David Bowie" Regina Spector said "Wow" and I wonder what the character in the song "Yogi with a Broken Heart " would think of all this? I have one more New York gig before I go back to Ireland. Joe's Pub on Friday April 30th at 7pm. I am honoured (that's the English spelling) to have the Scorchio String Quartet from Carnegie Hall for the occasion. It will be a repro of that Tibet House moment and I am so delighted this great Quartet can be there. Sorry Iggy (or Piggy) is elsewhere. This may well be my last gig in NY this year I'm sorry to say. So please get out of work at five and take the drive down to the lower side. I love you more than you could ever love me. Kome out of de hoose. Pierce xxxxxxxxxxx Write to me at claregturner@gmail.com PIERCE TURNER AND THE SCORCHIO QUARTET JOES'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN FRIDAY APRIL 30TH AT 7PM TKTS 212-967-7555 OR AT THE PUBLIC THEATRE ENQUIRY 212-539-8777 www.joepub.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/6/2010 Today for some reason or other the sirens on First Avenue were in harmony with my activities. I am in the process of recording a talking book, and it's weird because the First Avenue traffic usually fits in okay with my songs-but not so with the spoken word through, every little sound is noticeable. It was driving me nuts, looking out the window, waiting for the traffic lights to change to red and trying to get a take in there before green! I refused to give in and kept hammering away-but I must confess that I was beginning to feel like I was peeing in the wind. Then today everything changed! I came into the sitting room and the sun was cutting a sharp triangle across the Hopper print of "The lady in a Summer Dress"-I opened the window wide to see if the cars were being loud. The apple blossom tree outside my window on the Avenue was looking splendid in her spring dress-all pink and soft she was smiling in the sun- she reached in through the window to me, and coooed "What are you up to?" "Oh all kinds of things, really" " Are you playing around at all?" "Yes in fact, I'm playing at Joe's Pub on Friday April 30th" "Oh that's great-what on your own?" "No I'm playing with the Scorchio String Quartet-the group who backed me at Carnegie Hall" "Oh 'm sure they sounded great with you-I don't get out much of course" "I'm also trying to record a talking book-but the noise on the Avenue has been very disagreeable" "Well we'll have to see what we can do about that-give it a go today!" I pulled my head in-turned on the machine and began to record-the traffic came through the lights-but they moved slowly making very little noise. Nothing jittered and nothing clanged-nothing beeped and nothing banged-I careened through the piece with precision and poise-and was really surprised at the lack of interruption. I looked out the window to see how come? And there they were all mesmerised and calm- moving slowly so that they could take the time-to admire the pretty flamingo in the pink summer dress-covered in the blossoms of Spring standing outside my Window with the wind blowing through her hair. It's time again my New York sausages to celebrate our love for each other-come out with the flowers of April and relive the Carnegie hall Moment with The great Scorchio String Quartet. Happy Easter! I love your little cherub button bottoms! XxxxxxxPierce. P.S Here are some the mentions from the Carnegie Hall reviews Rolling Stone review of Tibet house benefit @ Carnegie Hall "Early in the night, composer Phillip Glass introduced Irish singer Pierce Turner, who sat at the grand piano and performed the soaring, Bowie-reminiscent "Yogi with a Broken Heart." NY Times review of the same event "A piano playing Irish songwriter with tinges of opera and Joni Mitchell sang his "Yogi with a Broken Heart" joined by Mr. Philip Glass on keyboard." PIERCE TURNER LAST N.Y/ GIG BEFORE IRELAND WITH THE SCORCHIO QUARTET FRIDAY APRIL 30TH AT 7PM JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN TKTS 212-967-7555 OR AT THE PUBLIC THEATRE ENQ 212-539-8777 -- *newsflash-Pierce Turner at Joe's Pub New York with the Scorchio Quartet Fri April 30th at 7pm Rolling Stone review of Tibet house benefit @ Carnegie Hall "Early in the night, composer Phillip Glass introduced Irish singer Pierce Turner, who sat at the grand piano and performed the soaring, Bowie-reminiscent "Yogi with a Broken Heart." NY Times review of the same event "A piano playing Irish songwriter with tinges of opera and Joni Mitchell sang his "Yogi with a Broken Heart" joined by Mr. Philip Glass on keyboard." --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/19/2010 Rumour has it that some people think Joe's Pub is sold out on April 30th. Well it's not true my dear little Cumberland sausages. However, now that Philip Glass has agreed to come on stage with me and play our Carnegie hall song "Yogi with a Broken Heart" tickets are likely to be in demand. However it won't be in the press for a while-so you get to hear about it first-because you're special. Philip and I recorded the song on Friday out in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn. And it really came out well. It's not every day that you get Philip Glass to play an original part on one of your songs. The studio has this beautiful grand piano and it just purrs. We are supposed to go to Ireland on May 12th but who knows if that Volcanic ash will be gone or not? We may never fly again! Volcanoes don't care about anyone's agenda. Apparently the military are flying planes above it and below it to see how it goes????Are they mad? Look, can we wait until the fucker is gone! Don't get any bright ideas! I am tired now, the night has come upon me and it's a Sunday. I still feel flourishes of dread about Monday, even though I haven't had a day job since Moses broke that tablet! The Country Music awards were on tonight and they were hilarious. All these country women trying to sing like Mariah Carey-breaking their arses at half time to sing with Cellos and harps. Look that cello shit's my game-stick to the steel guitars and the plaintive tune! And what's with the sexy cowboy thing? These guys are all movie stars now-they must spend four hours a day in the Gym! They must have a gym built in to the Bus! Ah give me Willy Nelson with nothing on the Bus but a double bed and a bong and a fridge full of Cherry Garcia. Please come to Joe's Pub. The Scorchio string quartet sound great and I'm brushing off some old jewels because Philip will be there, especially " How it shone" with his string arrangement. It's time again my New York sausages to celebrate our love for each other-come out with the flowers of April and relive the Carnegie hall Moment with The great Scorchio String Quartet. I love your little cherub button bottoms! XxxxxxxPierce. P.S Here are some the mentions from the Carnegie Hall reviews Rolling Stone review of Tibet house benefit @ Carnegie Hall "Early in the night, composer Phillip Glass introduced Irish singer Pierce Turner, who sat at the grand piano and performed the soaring, Bowie-reminiscent "Yogi with a Broken Heart." NY Times review of the same event "A piano playing Irish songwriter with tinges of opera and Joni Mitchell sang his "Yogi with a Broken Heart" joined by Mr. Philip Glass on keyboard." PIERCE TURNER LAST N.Y/ GIG BEFORE IRELAND WITH THE SCORCHIO QUARTET And very special guest PHILIP GLASS FRIDAY APRIL 30TH AT 7PM JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN TKTS 212-967-7555 OR AT THE PUBLIC THEATRE ENQ 212-539-8777 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4/24/2010 NEWSFLASH * PHILIP GLASS WILL BE JOINING PIERCE TURNER ON STAGE AT JOE'S PUB TO PERFORM "YOGI WITH A BROKEN HEART" I'm bloggin here! Not that that caterpillar outside my window slicing up the avenue like a pizza pie, gives a shite! They started down on 1st Street and 1st Ave and they have now arrived at my building on 11th Street! It looks like open-heart surgery of the Avenue, but if that's the case this poor bastards heart must be in terrible condition, because they just did this a few months ago and now they're at it again! Did they forget something? Wouldn't it be great to have a job like that, where you make a foopaw and you still get paid to carry on? Not only that, but they pay you to fix the mistake too! It doesn't seem to work that way for me. In fact it's the exact opposite. If I do really well, like let's say. Sell out a gig at Joe's Pub. The people who didn't buy tickets in advance get pissed off because they couldn't get in! Next time they say, "oh I'm not bothering with that, last time I couldn't even get in, it's probably sold out anyway!" I played a gig once in a place called Carrig on Bannow about 12 miles from my hometown Wexford and it was jammed! But a busload of 15 people came from the Town without any tickets and were unable to get in. I was on stage playing and having a really good time, when Clare came up to me in a state of panic and said "there's a bus here from Wexford and they can't get in!" I was trying to sing at the time. She then spent the whole night alternating a few of them in to the gig for a while and then switching with a different bunch. She was run ragged all night and they were so pissed off most of them never came again, that'll show me! Mr big shot! But, but but??? Mia culpa! Foolishly I thought having a sold out show was a good thing. But no! It seems what I need to do is time the whole thing more perfectly! Just sell enough tickets so that there is a buzz and Mary say's to Joe, "Oh I believe Maura and Peggy are going to that!" and then they all arrive together, buy tickets at the door and get great seats, and just after Mary's arse ( the last arse) passes through the door the gig is sold out! With not one person wanting to get in! and yet it's packed-but not too packed! This is what I get for wanting great characters in my audience. They are not crowd followers! They like to like music that only they like! As soon as there is a hint of reaching beyond that to the general public, they adopt the Woody Allen attitude,! I would never want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member!" Of course it dawns on me too, that as a performer I may be drawing towards me, people who are like myself! And that's why I am so comfortable hanging out with them. And by the way that's why I have arranged for us all to go to the back room in Swift on E 4th Street after the show at Joe's Pub-Which by the way is selling at a nice easy pace, looking very much like it will fill up very gradually to a polite climax befitting the benign orchestration of Peggy, Maura, Jimmy, Patsy ,Eileen, Larry, Regina and etc??Everyone will get in no matter how late you arrive and we will wait until Saturday for you if you have to wash your hair! I am so honoured to have the greatest living classical composer Philip Glass playing "Yogi with a Broke Heart" at Joe's with me on Friday. Not to mention the wonderful Scorchio Quartet. And don't forget Swift after wards. Book now! Or not! Or maybe? Or plan to? Don't worry I'll keep reminding you! And then on the 31st; When is Pierce playing at Joe's Pub? And to my Dublin sausages, you heard it first, I will be at Whelans of Wexford Street on July 16th Book or write to me here at claregturner@gmail.com I am finished blogging now-and they are cleaning up the Avenue after today's operation. I am loving you lot's xxxxxx Pierce. Or at Ticketmaster. PIERCE TURNER AND THE SCORCHIO QUARTET WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST PHILIP GLASS JOES'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE MANHATTAN FRIDAY APRIL 30TH AT 7PM TKTS 212-967-7555 OR AT THE PUBLIC THEATRE ENQUIRY 212-539-8777 http://www.joespub.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/19/2010 The fire is lighting and the hatches are all battened down! The cat's come in after a day of chasing blackbirds and the 9pm sun insists that the summer is coming. Down here in the South East of Ireland daylight persists until as late as 10pm in the middle of May! Still, the frost refuses to retreat. It has found a foothold in the nooks and crannies and no matter how much the Sun huffs and puffs through the cotton wool clouds it fails to permeate the walls of our old house. Hence the lighted fire and the woollen cardigan-which I am only mentioning now-but might soon remove as the fire takes command. THIS JULY WILL BE THE RETURN TO HOUSE GIG MONTH. I have some very exciting plans for this Summer, but not so much normal stuff- I'm turning off the treadmill for a bit of rumination, examination, estimation, self flagellation and conversation. However I have decided to pursue my new favourite way to play between the public legit events. I want to do some more private house gigs this summer. With the exception of July 16th which is booked for Whelans of Wexford Street Dublin. I am offering July for house gigs. Write here if you are interested claregturner at gmail.com Anywhere in Ireland, England or France is a possibility. Who knows? the last time I did this the plan was to only do six and I ended up doing sixty! If you write we'll tell you how it works. You will need a real piano (in tune and playable) maybe I can help you rent one at a reasonable price. Remember you don't need a mansion!!! If you would like to see a typical house gig, go to You Tube and you can view Brian and Eleanor O' Driscolls great video of t! heirs. Thanks to my New York sausages for a tremendous gig at Joe's Pub in April. And thanks to Philip Glass and the Scorchio String Quartet for their wonderful performance. As for the Irish Sausages I am really looking forward to these great public events. Spread the word, tell the gang! Xxxxxx all my love. Pierce. WHELANS WEXFORD STREET DUBLIN?..PIERCE'S BLOOD IS ALL OVER THOSE TABLES. FRIDAY JULY 16TH THE KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL PRESENTS PIERCE TURNER AT THE PARADE TOWER KILKENNY SATURDAY AUGUST 7TH A HUGELY PRESTIGIOUS EVENT DE BARRAS CLONAKILTY WEST CORK THURSDAY AUG 26TH THE LEGENDARY VENUE CREATED BY JIMI HENDRIX'S NOEL REDDING THE WEXFORD ART CENTRE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH HOME SWEET HOME-WITH A GREAT PIANO IN THE CENTRE OF THE ROOM JULY IS AVAILABLE FOR THE FAMOUS HOUSE GIGS WRITE HERE claregturner at gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/20/2010 Someone said, "Where are you?" I said, "here! Where are you?" "There! I'm over here!" "Where is there?" "Over here!" It's been so long! I felt you needed space. It seemed like time to shut up for a while. So I was listening for a while. But you didn't say much and suddenly it crossed my mind that you might move away! So I've grabbed the laptop and put it atop my lap with the full intention of saying something pertinent! Something to fill this canyon of silence that has developed in our one sided conversation. Pat Donahue came down fro Enniscorthy the other day and tuned my piano. He was booked to come at one on Sunday. At five past one Annie knocked on the door and said "were you expecting Pat Donahue to come and tune your Piano today? I said "yes" and she said "oh good, we'll be right back, he's just parked up the street" they arrived back with three serious looking boxes of stuff and Pat went at it hard for the next three hours. It's an old Piano, it was my Mothers and it's the one I learned on. Pat said that she wasn't good enough for me; I said "shur Pat she was my Mothers, I could never get shut of her!" Pat then got a little sentimental and said that she really was "not that bad of an oul yoke" After yanking it all up to speed (it had slipped about a quarter tone) Pat and his assistant Annie had a cup of tea and departed in time for me to watch a bit of the World Cup, which turned out to be a crap match-Ireland are so much better then some of the teams. I needed the Piano tuned primarily because I had a rehearsal planned for yesterday with Karen and Linda on Viola and Violin. They came down from Dublin like as if Dublin was only a spit away (86 miles) and we ran through a rake of songs including some brand new ones (wonder when that album will be done?) We notated Philip Glasses arrangement of "Yogi with a Broken Heart" and it sounded beautiful-if I might say so myself. The last gig at Joes Pub was a bit of a revelation in that I discovered playing Piano with strings was particularly exciting. Why this suddenly seems like a great idea after all this time beats me! But it really felt that way yesterday again. Songs like "How it Shone" and "The Answer" really feel fresh in this setting. For the Kilkenny Arts Festival on August 7th I plan on featuring this approach, especially these songs that Philip worked on-his name sounds good on the program of a large arts festival. But first let us bring the near future to light WHELANS OF WEXFORD STREET DUBLIN ON JULY 16TH Its going to be a big deal I can tell you here and now. Pat is bringing the Piano up in the horsebox and it will be a hell of a challenge to get her up on the stage! It's pretty high, ye know! There will be several large men with fancy back braces that look like children's bibs, huffing and puffing and shouting instructions at each other in a frantic tone that might suggest imminent danger. "You pull her this way and I'll push her up!" "Now!!! Slider her on her back!" "Watch her Jimmy she's falling!" "We might have to take the legs offa her!" That kinda stuff. But it will be mighty, Whelans is where we were weaned, it's a classic summer venue, the long Irish daylight will be coming in through the stained glass skylight until about ten at night. And then the stage lights will start to turn all blue - red and intense. Just like an outdoor festival-but with a real toilet, bar and great acoustics, no blowing the sound away in the wind. You can book with us here and save on the all them booking fees write to claregturnerATgmail and don't forget to say how many! There now I've filled the space between us, you are closer now, I can feel you. Keep coming closer and we'll meet in Whelans. Scuse me while I kiss the sky. Love yous. Pierce. Whelans Wexford Street Dublin Fri July 16th 8;30 pm TKTS at Tickemaster and WAV Or book wit us at claregturner@gmail.com -- Rolling Stone review of Tibet house benefit @ Carnegie Hall "Early in the night, composer Phillip Glass introduced Irish singer Pierce Turner, who sat at the grand piano and performed the soaring, Bowie-reminiscent "Yogi with a Broken Heart." NY Times review of the same event "A piano playing Irish songwriter with tinges of opera and Joni Mitchell sang his "Yogi with a Broken Heart" joined by Mr. Philip Glass on keyboard." --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/6/2010 I have worked very hard to avoid booking gigs during the world cup and so far succeeded admirably I must say. Unfortunately up until now most of the matches have been useless. All along I have said that Germany were going to win it and now I'm sure of it. So say's I to myself "there's a couple of matches left before the end but I'd say that the final will be between Germany and Holland?and when is that?" "Where is that paper?" "What? You must be shittin me, it's on Sunday July 11th? I have a Parlour gig that night! After all the planning" It'll probable be crap anyhow, or is this going to be the best one? Maybe we'll put the tellee behind the piano. The sun seems to have made a mistake and stopped in the sky over Ireland for an unbelievable length of time! We keep preparing subconsciously for a long depressing bout of saturating rain, but it doesn't come! And the result is tremendously confusing. If you are in America and feel a great need to visit your Aunt Nelly in Kenmare, now is your chance-you wont be disappointed. The foliage is flush and the roses are succulent the sea is warm enough to swim in, people are eating ice cream cones and drinking pints of Guinness on the pedestrian streets where cars are banished and music streams from the windows. Get over here now while you can. It could be winter next summer! And if you come here soon you could catch the gig at Whelan's of Wexford Street in Dublin on Friday July 16th. I think I'll have to learn a summer song, what should it be? If you want to avoid the surcharges, you can book here with us at claregturner@gmail.com By the way, got a car, waiting for it to arrive, will tell you all about it when I get it. Have to go out in the sun now! That's the trouble I feel guilty about sitting in here on this bloody computer now. Even though I love writing to my sausage pudding pies. Pierce xxxxx Fri July 16th Whelans - Dublin City 25 Wexford St. Show 8.30pm Tickets: available www.ticketmaster.ie or Tel.0818 719300 or through ourselves on our guaranteed reservation list email: claregturner@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/24/2010 Didn't get out of the house at all today. Spent the whole day notating string parts for the Kilkenny Arts Festival coming up on August 7th. I am working on so many things at once now it seems foolish. But still they are there! And I can't just abandon them. Is this the story of life? As we get older we pick up more things, or we refuse, if we refuse we die of boredom, if we don't refuse we become overwhelmed with the multiplication of our curiosities? Right now I'm working on a talking book, a new album- the follow up to 'The Boy To Be With', a book of lyrics, I'm preparing to produce an album for an Irish Band that I really love called The Darlin Sins as well as booking gigs and preparing for (possibly) multimedia shows like Kilkenny. Somewhere in between all that I have to eat my dinner and drink some wine, jog on the beach, sing for two hours a day and do Yoga before the Sun goes down. Jasus I'm knackered just from! writing it down. The early grey has been burnt from the Irish sky and now the 9pm Sun has come through in an evening way. Grainy light like an underexposed kodachrome. The delicate clouds hesitantly white mingle with the fading blue of a lullaby. And I remember now the room up the road where we lived when I was six years old. A small bungalow just like this with a flower garden in the front and a vegetable garden in the back. I had a bed by the back window and even on summer evenings like this I was put to bed around nine o'clock. You see Wexford is in a northerly latitude and it doesn't get dark here until eleven O'clock in the summer. So I would lie in that bed with daylight still filling the room, me all clean and scrubbed, hair slightly damp upon the pillow, slightly confused about these combinations but safe and contentedly tired. The decision was made for me by someone else and I was ultimately glad to call it a day. You are now a story and stories never d!ie They live forever and can even multiply! And you are the sausage of my eye. Sleep tight. Lovexxxxzzzzz Pierce.
Laurence Mackin
Over the first weekend of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, two acts in particular stood out. On Saturday evening, while Robert Fisk was delivering the Hubert Butler lecture in St Canice's Cathedral, Pierce Turner was ripping it up in Kilkenny's Parade Tower with his blend of singing, storytelling and more than a touch of vaudeville.
Turner divides his time between Wexford and New York and here, with accompaniment from Karen Dervan and Lynda O'Connor on viola and violin respectively, he bounced between piano, guitar, and a bit of xylophone, and interspersed his set with various stories relevant to his songs. His show opener was a narrated short story with some projected images about two men enjoying a marvellous conversation. The set was exciting stuff, with plenty of humour and skill and a real traditional feel, in that the audience wasn't so much listening to a series of songs, as been told a long story, with all the different elements interlinking along the way through song, spoken word and even the odd few shapes that Turner was throwing on stage.
On Sunday, Erik Friedlander brought his Block Ice and Propane project to the Set Theatre, and although it was a much more contemplative affair, it had a lot in common with Turner's show. Friedlander is the son of Lee Friedlander, a US photographer, and every summer the family Friedlander would be packed into an ageing pick-up truck, with some accommodation built on top, and they would take off on a mad, few months' long dash from the east to the west coast. Friedlander's father like to make the most of the summer months, the beautiful light and the long days.
The result is a cache of photographs that depicts the US from coast to coast, and hundreds of pictures of little Erik, his sister, parents and oddball aunts and uncles, supplemented by some haunting films by Bill Morrison. Block Ice and Propane (Friedlander specifically referred to it as a "project" rather than an album) is directly inspired by this, and Friedlander narrates various slides of his family and tells a few very charming stories about what sounds like nothing less than a great American adventure during the 1960s and 1970s.
The music itself is stunning, switching from raw, meditative laments of open prairies to rollicking, blistering reels which rip of Friedlander's carbon-fibre cello with astonishing alacrity and technique. Some of the tracks are sophisticated and delicate, whereas others sound like they have just rolled in off the Appalachian mountains.
So where do this unlikely pair meet? Well, Turner's show was not entirely solo whereas Friedlander was, but both were crossing a lot of boundaries with these concerts. There was a modern, multimedia element to both, but the beauty was in the very act of telling stories, using music and sound, film, video and instruments, in a very naturalistic and accomplished way. Many performers get up to sing their songs and think it is enough – and in many cases, it is. But in these two acts we have performers, from very different places and very different backgrounds, who go a step further in bringing their message out into the open, and creating an experience that is all the more immersive and engaging.
And just in case you're more than a little intrigued, here is Turner with The Sky and the Ground, named after a Wexford pub. Drink it in. For a little taste of Friedlander, check out Friday's post on the weekend's events.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/25/2010 Hello my dear little suffering soldiers. Are you broke? Or nearly broke? Or have you still got a decent job? Or any kind of job at all? I am professionally penniless myself. I have become so good at surviving beyond all recognition of common standard, so frequently out-earned by the paper boy, that I have long since abandoned all pride of appearance. Words like recession just roll off of me like rain upon the feather of a duck. I am permanently recessed and almost immune to depression thereof. I have become a musical monk of sorts, divorced from most material needs and filled with blind hope. Come join me we can laugh at the whole thing together. If you are in the U.S or the U.K you might want to go check out the movie "The Other Guys" I'm in the bar scene singing along with Will Ferell, hilariously it is the number one movie in both of those countries, now I wonder does this musical monk get residuals??? I return to New York in October and it looks like I will be at Joe's Pub in Manhattan on October 23rd. Just waiting to firm it up. If you are in Cork I will be at De Barras in Clonakilty this Thursday Aug 26th. And at the Wexford art Centre Sept 4th. Back in Dublin at Aras Chronain on Sat Sept 11th . This looks like the last Irish date and it's a really cool place that feels kinda like Whelans in Dublin. You can book with us if you like at claregturner@gmail.com In the mean time .calm down and dream up! Even though I'm really veeeeery busy-I still have time to love you soo much. Pierce xxxx PIERCE TURNER IN CHART-TOPPING FILM The film The Other Guys, in which Irish singer-songwriter Pierce Turner sings a song in a bar with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, has hit the number one at the box office in the USA. The film has also knocked Leonardo diCaprio's Inception off the top of the UK box office chart. A police parody with a budget of £56 million, it took in £22.3 million in its opening weekend in the UK. After performing to a full house early this month at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Turner heads to de Barras in Clonakilty, West Cork for a gig there on Thursday August 26. On Saturday September 4 he plays a hometown gig at Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford Town, followed by a visit to Aras Chronain, Irish Cultural Centre in Clondalkin, Dublin on Saturday September 11. This looks like the last Irish date and it's a really cool place that feels kinda like Whelans in Dublin. You can book with us if you like at claregturner at gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/1/2010 Pierce Turner Frm Wxfrd to Dublin and Nu York Just come in from the Wexford Art Centre where I met with Ollie the sound engineer to discuss the set up for this Saturday Sept 4th. Lately I am becoming suspicious that I might be dyslexic. A friend of mine said that I have a lot of the symptoms. I know that I was useless in school and was very slow to learn, so either I'm stupid enough to believe that the reason for my lacking is something other than my intelligence, or I'm actually dyslexic. We may never know the answer unless someone else intervenes. But because of the experience that I had with Ollie today I do believe that It's possible that both he and I are coming from the same point of view, that is to say, back to front or front to back, depending on who is standing where! I do hope I have left him with the information that I took. I believe that the stage is to be set in the centre of the room so that I will be surrounded by tables and chairs decorated with candles and copious tumblers of wine. I told Ollie where I wanted the Piano and I thought he was on the same page as me, but just before I left he casually mentioned that I would sit ! 'here' while the Piano would be on a wheelie platform just off the side, which meant that I would be on the opposite side of the stage than the side I wanted to be on! I took off my coat and started all over again, slightly suspicious that I had done one of my dyslexic directions on poor old Ollie and had left him totally confused, or that he had done vice versa to me! If anyone had come in after that they would have been very amused I'm sure to see us both mimicking being seated on a make believe stool in front of a make believe Piano and pointing at the perimeter of a none existing stage. In the end I'm sure it will be great though. We will have the DVD projector in action to show the Videos from the Kilkenny Arts Festival, One by Fearghal O Lidddy and one by Brian O Driscoll. The first is a visual attached to one of my new stories 'a marvellous conversation' and the second one of haunting black and white clouds will be an accompaniment to us performing 'The Answer' from 'The Sky and the Ground' We're coming to an end of this summer in Ireland and I'm Off to New York early October for a date at Joe's Pub in Manhattan on October 23rd at 7; 30 pm. Next week will be my last Irish date and it will be at Aras Chronain in Clondalkin.Dublin. This is a really cool place that feels like Whelans and has a nice bar with a balcony right overhead. This is run by great people and my friend Frank Phelan the winner of the Busy Man competition has put me up to it so it has to be a fun gig!!! So there! Or is it There so! Are you coming? Or will you go; oops there goes another rubber tree plant. See you there. Love. Pierce xxxxxx Sat Sept 4th Wexford Arts Centre - Wexford Town - the Cornmarket Show 8.00pm Tickets: available boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie or Tel. 053 91 23764 Áras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre Watery Lane, Orchard Road, Clondalkin, D 22 Sat. Sept.11th 8/8.30p.m. Ticéad/Ticket: £18/ (£15 Aras members) T: +353-1-4574847 F: +353-1-4574117 E: eolas@araschronain.ie
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/5/2010 Well I have to say that Ollie outdid himself with the set up last night. And having the stage in the centre of the room at the Wexford Art Centre was perfect placement. The difference from the usual spot was massive. And even though the soundman Dan messed up the DVD at the beginning (I heard it from the dressing room and noticed that he had omitted the first few words, so I called him on his mobile and asked his shocked self to start it again) the show started with a bang. It shocked me that the audience clapped for ages after the first song Yogi With a Broken Heart. I was at the ready to dive into the next song and had to wait for a suitable pause before launching with maximum aplomb into the next song. Something was different; something was special about last night. The Wex art centre was built in 1880 and last night my cousin Playwright Billy Roche was there with many people from the cast of his play Lay Me Down Softly to be performed in the same space during the Wexford Festival. The play is about my Grandfather Jam Roche who fought for the world heavy weight boxing title. And ironically the first place that he fought was on that Art Centre Floor. Of course Billy is my first cousin, so he was his Grandfather also! One more Irish gig to go and it will be the same line-up as last night; the maestro Garvin Gallagher on stand up Bass and Fender with moil on all sorts of gadgets. It will be in Clonalkin Dublin at the Aras Chronain Centre. A really sweet little place with a bar and set up something like Whelans with balcony and all. It's our last Irish gig! You have to be there, that's all there is to it. And then!!!! October 23rd at Joe's Pub In Manhattan. With Strings!! Last time was back to old form, get the gang on the phone now the love of Jasus! Even the pregnant ones! Come out of the house. I love you so much I can't stand it. Pierce xxxxx --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/11/2010 Over here in Ireland there is something different slipping into the weather. It's not huge! Just a small slice of change stirring up those dormant memories that sleep in the hibernated forests of bygone seasons, like this one approaching us now. Autumn leaves me longing, like some kind of ancient onion is being unspun - that's a line from a new song that I'm working on, and I think that's pretty close to how it feels. It came to me in a whiff of the chilled air that seem to come from some fermented furnace of inner earth, now gone cold and scented with longing. It tripped a series of vivid occasions in rapid succession, rolling backwards, uncommonly alike because of this of course. This strange time, not sore, and not completely sad, but essentially commanded by the law of life and change. Saying goodbye to my summer self and trying to recall how my winter self behaves. Just like the clothes forgotten in the back behind the recent brights. I'm changing now I can feel i! t, and I really don't mind. And I am really ready for to see you whom I can. Those of you little sausage pies that will come to terms with the Red Cow Roundabout in order to arrive at Clondalkin tomorrow night. And those of you in New York- who are still in the midst of bloomin summer and won't know what the hell I'm talking about-when I play in Joe's Pub on October 23rd. The Cat's come in and the night is down, I'm off to bed for a good nights sleep to make sure that I'm in maximum form tomorrow. The gigs here this Summer have been truly mighty and that's not goin to change now! Come out of the house before you ferment yerself! See ye manana. Love and xxxxxxxx Pierce. Áras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre Watery Lane, Orchard Road, Clondalkin, D 22 Sat. Sept.11th 8/8.30p.m. Ticéad/Ticket: £18/ (£15 Aras members) Joe's Pub Lafayette Street Manhattan Sat Oct 23rd at 7pm --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/17/2010 I looked at this gig coming up at Joe's Pub and wondered what New York will be like this October. Will people say that they have had enough and come out in force - Or will they be in a state of caution, afraid to let themselves go - Of course all of this has an impact on what kind of line-up I will have behind me when I perform. The bigger the line-up the more expensive it is, naturally. And I know that a gig can be great with all kinds of musical backing. At the Kilkenny Art's Festival here in Ireland, I had a Violin and Viola, it was wonderful really, I loved every second of it and the Irish Times concurred. Then I played in Wexford with Garvan Gallagher on Bass and that was every bit as good in a different way. So there are ways for doing this that would cost less and work! It's all very practical and logical. But then I have an aversion towards being practical when I perform. The last time I played at Joe's Pub with the Scorchio string Quartet and Philip Glass came up to play 'Yogi with a Broken Heart' with me. I am not strapped to the idea of playing with a string quartet anymore, like I once was. It all depends on the chemistry between me and the other musicians on stage, and that has nothing to do with what they play. However the chemistry with the Scorchio string Quartet was so intense and so musically rich that I cannot avoid the desire to play with them again. So, I have bitten the bullet and booked them to do it again! I am counting on my New York loves to show me I was right to make this decision. Gather up the gang and tell them to come out on October 23rd I will wear my green drainpipe trousers and we will sing, 'Say you don't mind' to the owners of any drinks that I spill! Afterwards we will all meet for a pint, I still have to establish where. Somewhere near! Please book now and save me from sleepless worry and acid reflux AND worrying about heading to the ATM machine after the show to pay for the band, it's never happened yet, but the threat is always there! Ah, It's going to be mighty! Love and big slobbery kisses.xxxxxxxxx Pierce. PIERCE TURNER With THE SCORCHIO STRING QUARTET AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE ST MANHATTAN SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD AT 7PM SHARP Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 Subway 6 train to Astor place --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/14/2010 An average day This morning I woke up and looked at the book sitting on the small wooden table next to my bed, and thought to myself 'God when am I going to finish reading that'? I seem to spend so little time reading. Then I thought well! When would I have the time to read a book? They say that people are just overwhelmed with too much stuff these days and that we just don't have enough time. And as I lay there in my morning semi-stupor with eerie clarity I forgave myself for not reading that book more often, with the reminder that I do spend an hour a day reading the newspaper. And really it's either one or the other. Then as I lay there in the grey of Sunday morning stillness I took a look at an average day to see exactly where the time goes and why there is just not enough of it anymore? SUNDAY Every day is, I presume, slightly different for me because I don't have a normal job. But there are certain things that happen the same way each day. First thing in the morning once I've checked that the time is not too early, of late my wife Clare seems to think that waking up too early is a failure. So the acceptable time seems to be around 9 o'clock, I hop out of bed and. I stick on the kettle and wait for it to boil. I'm not goin to bother here with things like goin to the Toilet (too personal, too mundane) Once the kettle is boiled I grab four tea bags from the canister and throw them into the tea pot, quickly drowning them in the steaming hot water. Then there is five minutes to kill while it draws, there is a clock in our kitchen that my wife got from Stiff records when she worked there, it's an old vinyl album, on the stiff label of course, that reads 'when you kill time, you murder success!' Every day I kill five minutes at this point. But what else can you do when you're in nothing but a t-shirt and waiting for your first cup of tea? As soon as the time is murdered I get two mugs from the cupboard, put a drop of milk in each one and after checking the colour of the tea by pouring some of it in the sink, if it has drawn properly it should be a nice golden brown. ( She and I, my wife that is, Clare! can't stand weak tea) So once I am happy with the colour I pour it in to the mugs on top of the milk and take them both into the bedroom. (more tomorrow) It's only 9 days to Joe's Pun. Are ye coming? Xxxxxx Pierce PIERCE TURNER With THE SCORCHIO STRING QUARTET AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE ST MANHATTAN SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD AT 7PM SHARP Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/19/2010 Average Day part 3 Yesterday reminder ( If Clare is awake I just put the tea on her small wooden side table. If she's not I have to wake her up too. Then we both sit there and drink the tea and chat about last night and today and general trivia. Once that tea is drunk I take both cups out into the kitchen and refill them as we need two to wake us up. I bring them both back into the bedroom after putting the kettle on again in preparation for the second pot of tea. Sometimes during the second cup we will get in a little reading-maybe finish yesterdays papers or consume another few pages of a book. This is my chance to polish off a few more pages of that book, bit I'm afraid I can't! Because I have to use this precious time to finish Saturdays paper in order that I can discard it and begin reading today's which I haven't even purchased yet). BUSY MAN I am already half way through the main section of the paper so I'll finish that off first. I decide to speed-read it with a sense of urgency. I think to myself, It seems to have more in it than usual! How many times have I gone for a coffee and bought the paper with the intentions of a nice leisurely read, only to find that there is absolutely nothing in it! Now, here I am under pressure and it seems to be packed with actual events. I skim through Pakistan and the Taliban to the Israeli Prime Minister on trial for corruption and an Australian from Lebanon getting 12 years in jail for writing a book inciting violence, a do it yourself book on how to make bombs and assassinate presidents, he suggests George Bush and the likes. The book was called 'provisions on the rules of Jihad' not a very catchy title. And then a piece about a massive new set of books containing the letters of Van Gogh! the writer says that it is a six volume monster that weighs as much as Mike Tyson! I need to move on, but this is too intriguing. What the hell, He says that the painter was a masterful writer and apparently a bit dirty sometimes. What? Vincent talking about jerking off? I think of the angelic Don McLean song 'they weren't listening then, they're not listening still, I guess they never will!'. The journalist say's that his favourite letter was written in July 1888 while Van Gogh was painting Sunflowers, the Summer before the ear- cutting. It's a letter about the stars. Apparently he believed that stars are the souls of dead poets! And that to become a star you have to die. He said; just as we take the train, to go to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to go to a star! So it seemed to him that Cholera and Cancer are the celestial means of locomotion, just as Steamboats Omni-Busses and the Railroads are terrestrial means.To die quietly of old age would be to get there by foot - heavy stuff ha. it brings a whole new meaning to 'starry, starry night' Still it's a positive view of our last journey in life, the writer concludes that this is an argument for suicide. As we know Vincent shot himself in the end, after only consuming 37 years of time. Ah I think we'll settle for the oul foot and the dying of old age, just in case you're wrong Vincent. Have a great weekend every last one of yez. I love ye so much it's keeping me broke. Love Pierce xxx Continued tomorrow. Today's piece was sponsored by only Seven days to Joe's Pub. And you'd be mad not to come! Inc. PIERCE TURNER With THE SCORCHIO STRING QUARTET AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE ST MANHATTAN SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD AT 7PM SHARP Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 Subway 6 train to Astor place --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/22/2010 Sorry I'm a little behind here on my daily promise, but the last letter got lost in the Cyber Soup. An average day;continued. Holy shit it's half eleven! Clare say's are ye goin to get the papes? I protest that I need my brekkie first/ she agrees to make it if I go get the papers. So I jump in the car and drive to the shop, get the Sunday papers. When I return Bernard has arrived, he's standing in the garden smoking a cigarette. My scrambled eggs are on the table with toast and a cup of tea, I pore a cuppa for my friend and hand it to him in his self-imposed exile. Once he finishes his cigarette he comes in and joins us and we hold a very eclectic conversation, mostly political agreement and disdain for those who disagree. And agree that we are the silent types that few people know exist, except for when we vote, and then our thoughts surface to the surprise of the poll. I look at the clock and it's quarter to one-for the love of fuck, where is the day goin' I must go down to the beach now and run. I do aerobics about four to five times a week and when I'm in Ireland that usually consists of running on the beach. So I hop in the car and take the seven-mile road down to the beach. Along the way I practice my French with the michelle Thomas Cd's. 'je suis alle a Curracloe' 'nous alon' and so on. Every time I take this road I think about the Summer evenings when I would ride my bike down here after work to see my teenage girlfriend. Manys the song that comes from the memory. 'Everyone Loves A Virgin In their Past' Love P.xxxx Today's piece was sponsored by only a tiny while to Joe's Pub. And I'm practicing like mad here! Inc. PIERCE TURNER With THE SCORCHIO STRING QUARTET AT JOE'S PUB 425 LAFAYETTE ST MANHATTAN SATURDAY OCTOBER 23RD AT 7PM SHARP Tickets at the Public Theatre box office in person or call 212-967-7555 Subway 6 train to Astor place --------------------------------------------------------------------- 12/28/2010 I have just moved the pile for the umpteenth time. It was on the blue armchair and my friend Joe wanted to sit down, so he attempted to balance it on the piano stool. As it started to slither off he frantically crouched down to attempt stoppage. But because the pile has become a bit tall, with a couple of slippery plastic folders in the wrong strategic positions. It has become an architectural certainty that it will not hold its structure anymore. I rush to Joe's aid withholding my disdain for this task as best as I can, after all it's not Joe's fault, he is now holding the top of it down with his chin with one hand on either side, but the green plastic folder in the middle has edged forward and is now threatening to escape and take some companions along with it for the ride. I push it back into place and we both stand up to see if it will stay, remarkably it does! And we sit down to continue where we left off, as soon as our arses hit the furniture though, the pile toppled off the stool in the most spectacular fashion possible, managing to slide into as many pieces as possible and running underneath chairs and objects that defy description, things that no-one had looked underneath for years. How this pile managed to get so out of hand no-one knows, and when did it first appear? I think it's been around for about six weeks! I looked at it the other day with the complete intention of dismantling it and finding homes for each individual piece. The first piece of paper was the set list from my last gig, which is something I would have in my computer, however there were hand written notes written all over it and it would still be handy when I'm rehearsing next and can't think of one song to sing. Better keep that! Next came the string arrangement that I have been working on for SXSW in Austin next March. I don't really want to put that out of sight, I might completely drop the ball, it's in a grey plastic envelope, this is one of the sliders, but it has to stay. Next is a notebook with a generic Pablo Picasso motif on the front and French quotes on the back-it was just a blank notebook with a pretentious cover. This is one of my old songwriting books filled to the brim with pencil written lyrics. I have accumulated many of these over the years and every now and then I revisit an old one to see if there is an unused lyric that inspires me today. There are often good ones just waiting for the right musical idea. Sometimes there is absolutely nothing, or it can be a book full of songs already recorded. However this one seems to have a few yokes in it worth investigating. I need to have something to put before me when I think I have a musical idea. So that can't go, can it! This is also contributing to the piles structural instability by the way, because it's floppy and stuffed with post it notes, earmarks for the ones worth keeping an eye on. Next up is a short story call "A Marvelous Conversation" this is a piece that I played on DVD at the Kilkenny arts festival last summer, and now I am learning it off so that I can do it live in Austin, it's several pages long and is clipped at the top with a tiny binder clip. If it wasn't for the binder clip, this story would be a stable contribution to the piles structure. However the clip tends to make it top heavy. But I need this story handy at all times, it's not easy to remember! Then there is a story called "The Permist" which I now know, but I have amended it with a new ending and that is scrawled on the back of these four sheets of paper with a pencil-these are held together with an ordinary paper clip, this is a sound contribution to the stability of the pile. Next is a staff notebook for writing music, I have to have that in case I get a string arrangement idea, it's also flat and co-operative. Then there is a little tiny memo notebook that says it was purchased at CVS it has a wire binding and I wrote a story in there about being lost in Dublin while looking for a rehearsal room, it's pretty funny and it shows how terrible my sense of direction is. It also has some blank pages in it, might be handy if I need a notebook in my pocket when I'm out and about. Structurally this is a disaster for the pile, unless it is kept on the top at all times, easier said then done as I'm rummaging through this thing all the time looking for things, usually in a hurry too. There was a very fat manilla envelope filled with short stories and two audio CD's of me reading them, I haven't decided yet what to do with that! The CD's make this a shoddy balancer! I was afraid to move it though . Add to that a non descript pile of CD's with current and old ideas burnt on to them, and that was it! Nothing! I couldn't find a single thing that I could take from the pile. It was all current and pertinent! Today I noticed a new disturbing development, the pile had split up and was about the room in several different places. Each baby pile was only marginally smaller than the original host! I looked at them with suspiscion but they were soundly balanced I have to say, each one occupying their own seat. Perhaps that was what went wrong in the first place, they didn't have their own seats! Or maybe they needed to be separate piles with the dodgy bits on top! I'm going now to watch a bit of tellee! I hope these piles have a home before our gig here in the apartment on New Years Eve. Xxxxxx Merry New Year. Love. Pierce. On a final note this little funny letter is for my friend Jaimee Young, the sweetest angel of a girl that has been coming to my gigs for ages. Dearest Jaimme is ill right now and gone back to Ohio for treatment-Please Jaimee be strong and come back to us, we love you xxxxxxxxxx --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/1/2011 Woke up on the morning of 1-1-11 in state of semi-haze. We had such a brilliant New Years Eve with people here from as far away as Vancouver ( Bill and Ter) we sang Auld Lang Syne over the ball dropping in Time Square on our Samsung flat screen tele. But the tele still works! And then partied on and on. Finally I wore everyone out and even our friends Marvin and Amanda who stayed over, went off to bed on the Futon/sofa in the front room, oblivious to the traffic on First Avenue. Boris Carrol tried to leave and I introduced yet another bottle of champagne, which we had stowed out on the freezing fire escape to keep it out of view of the guests so that we could surprise them at midnight, unfortunately we forgot about them and the guests departed without a drop consumed. It was only after I mentioned around 3 am that I hadn't received a drop of the bubbly, that Clare realised that the 4 bottles were still enjoying themselves out on the fire escape untouched (sorry my lovely guests) so of course we had to consume them immediately. They were still on the go when Borris tried to leave at 5am. Finally I let Borris go at 6.10am and reluctantly tried to retire, of course I wasn't even tired so I had to drop a sleeping pill. That merely put me in another zone and it couldn't rightfully be called sleeping! Four hours later I was making tea and Clare was making her delicious scrambled eggs with cheese for our guests and we had a marvellous conversation with copious toast and tea. It was a lovely start to the New Year. People!! People that we love! That's all we need to get by. Happy New Year my lovely friends xxxxxxx SPECIAL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY FEBRUARY 4TH 9pm Start finish by 11 pm A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT PERCY'S TAVERN in the East Village Percy's is owned by the great Larry Watson, you must remember him from Paddy Reilly's It's a cosy new Tavern on Ave A 210 Ave A, cross street 13th Tel. 212 473 7770 also takes reservation Website: percysnyc.com Larry will bring his upright piano down from the country, so this will be like a parlour gig in a Tavern. Fine wines, spirits, food and beer will be served and tables with chairs to sit on, plus an actual oak bar (which might get trampled on). This shouldn't be boring. Clare! Dust off the spotlight will ye' And Boris shine up the cymbals! You can all start practicing in the shower-keep your voice hydrated! This gig is open to the public and subsidised by Percy's, which means keeping the cover down to a mere $10-a special treat for all you recessional little tings, a cover that is not feasible on most occasions. It's an intimate place about the size of Swift. All reservations must be honoured by 8:45 pm. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/30/2011 I got a letter from someone in Ireland recently saying 'please take me off your mailing list immediately, I'm sick of being inundated with your letters!' So I stopped writing for a while, thinking perhaps I'm overdoing it. Of course I receive loads of letters from people telling me how much they LOVE my letters. But isn't it funny how the one negative note outweighed all the positive ones! It is certainly harder to be good than to be bad. And it's harder for good news to gain attention than bad. Do we even notice bad people more than good ones? I mean Hitler got a lot of attention didn't he? I remember when the advertising industry in America realised that bad advertisements were more effective than good ones, and also cheaper. So TV was filled with adverts featuring the owner of the company who was just simply dreadful at public speaking, so dreadful that everyone talked about it and that was the angle. In that time when all I had was a 15" TV set and NO flicker it made watching it unbearable with seven minutes of eejits selling their shite between five minutes of movie. So let me briefly bring you to date on my movements and I'll try to be brief and as annoying as possible. Coming up on Friday December I will do my first New York bar gig in ages at Percy's Tavern on 210 Ave A and 13th St. I know many of you prefer to see me in a bar, and wouldn't come to see me in Carnegie hall for all the tea in china. So now's yer chance, truth is I love a good bar gig myself. Percy's is really nice and Larry Watson from Paddy Reilly's is the man-so book with us now, it looks like it will be jammers. In March I am taking part in the very prestigious 25th anniversary of South By South West in Austin Texas. You know how seldom I get out of New York, so if you are down that way, you're on! The date isn't fixed yet but the festival runs between the 15th and 20th of March. Will know he date soon. There are 23 bands from Ireland coming out for this and we will also play a special gig together on March 18th called the full Irish-last year the RSVP for that was 1500. The venue only holds 150. Then at the end of March I will take part in the 25th Anniversary of Paddy Reilly's That's going to be truly wild Thursday March 31st I will be there. Ireland is coming soon too the first booking there right now is June 4th at the Wexford Art Centre and Whelans Dublin is on the cards for June too. I'm knackered now. See you at Percy's! I took yer man off the mailing list by the way, I don't want get shot coming out of my tenement apartment building. I love yer little cotton socks. SPECIAL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY FEBRUARY 4TH 9pm Start finish by 11 pm A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT PERCY'S TAVERN in the East Village Percy's is owned by the great Larry Watson, you must remember him from Paddy Reilly's It's a cosy new Tavern on Ave A 210 Ave A, cross street 13th Tel. 212 473 7770 also takes reservation Website: percysnyc.com Larry will bring his upright piano down from the country, so this will be like a parlour gig in a Tavern. Fine wines, spirits, food and beer will be served and tables with chairs to sit on, plus an actual oak bar (which might get trampled on). This shouldn't be boring. 'Clare! Dust off the spotlight will ye' And Boris shine up the cymbals!' You can all start practicing in the shower-keep your voice hydrated! If you want to book ahead, contact us here at claregturner on gmail.com This gig is open to the public and subsidised by Percy's, which means keeping the cover down to a mere $10-a special treat for all you recessional little tings, a cover that is not feasible on most occasions. It's an intimate place about the size of Swift. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2/13/2011 I met Jerry Seinfeld last night and we got along really well! It was a dream, And we were out somewhere in the great ambigious world that dreams belong to. Somewhere between a massive mall and a boutique shee shee coffee shop, ye know the kind with long wooden rustic tables! Everyone was leaving and because Jerry and I got along so well he suggested that the two of us should go to Chinatown for a meal. My Mother and three sisters were here on vacation and were returning to Ireland the next day so I asked Jerry could I borrow his mobile (the flip kind) to ask them would they mind. It was their last night and we were supposed to go out for a meal, so it wasn't good timing. My Sister answered the phone and she had never heard of Jerry Seinfeld, I spent a good while explaining who he was and how important it was that he wanted get to know me, and my ideas ( he said) She said OK maybe we can meet a bit later. I got off the phone in a tizzy, cos I felt that I was letting them down. When I looked around in this massive Mall-cum shee shee coffee shop, I couldn't find Jerry. So I just went back to my apartment where my family was. This was also a bit Mall like and there were American people there who I knew would know the gravity of the situation, they would know who Jerry was! So I said that I was supposed to go with Jerry Seinfeld to Chinatown, but had lost him. They said 'JERRY SEINFELD!!!' and I said 'yeah'. My family said that never heard of him, but I wallowed in the recognition that I was getting from the people who did know who he was. Then!!!! One of the men in a red shirt took of this pair of really thick glasses and he turned out to be JERRY SEINFELD! I was so embarrassed and he thought that it was very funny-then I woke up. I know all you dream analyser's could have a field day with this, and I know that there is something totally pathetic about it. But I don't care, Jerry and I got along really well! And now the news. I loved playing at Percy's Tavern so much that I am returning there on Friday march 4th. If want come reserve here at claregturner at gmail dotcom Those of you who were there that there something so nice about this envoirement. And although it got noisy sometimes it was still a real crack. An the venue has been chosen for South by South West in AustinTexas I will be performing at Esther's Follies, they have a grand piano and I will employ a Violinist and Violaist from Austin for the gig. I perform on march 16th there. And on March 17th as past of the impressive Irish contingent at a place called BD Reilly'e I will performa at 12;30 that day. Paddy Reilly's is celebrating it 25th Anniversary and I will be there as part of a month of music celebration. I will be there on Thursday March 31st. Wexford Art Centre is on June 4th. FRIDAY March 4TH 9pm Start finish by 11 pm A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT PERCY'S TAVERN - in the East Village Percy's is owned by the great Larry Watson, you must remember him from Paddy Reilly's It's a cosy new Tavern on Ave A 210 Ave A, cross street 13th Tel. 212 473 7770 also takes reservation Website: http://www.percysnyc.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2/20/2011 Last night I got drunk by mistake (again) I think what happens is that I get out of training or something, or I loose my ability to measure my pace. Ye see I go into training before I play a gig and that means total abstinence from any stimulants stronger than tea or coffee. I can't bare to perform in a state of non-fitness. It's as uninteresting for me as it is for the spectator. Then when the gig is over I have a small window of time to hurry up and party. It's a sort of vengeance towards the fact that I had to be good while many of my friends were being bad. And sometimes I am too vengeful, with the result that I find myself shockingly incapable. That's what happened to me last night. And I had so many plans too! I had rented an amplifier from S.I.R over on 36th St and 10th Ave (no mans land) for a private gig out in Long Island. It turned out to be bigger and more awkward than I expected it to be (the amp). So Clare had to help me return it in a Taxi on Saturday morning. We got out at 10th Ave and walked down the hill to the middle of the block, all the while battling gale force winds; icing their way up from the Hudson River. Small men passed us by pushing racks of clothing on wheels covered in see thru plastic, the wind caught in the plastic and threatened to send them up into the air where the Chem trail set (conspiracy theorists) keeping a watchful eye, would delight at the sighting of a garment district UFO. After we returned the amp we came home via Trader Joe's and stopped off for some bargain wines. They have a delightful Rose Rioja there from Spain called Marques de Caceres, I think it's around seven bucks. We bought a few and threw them in the freezer to get them nice and cold. There we sat in the kitchen, tired and kind of cosy. Our work was done, the day was ours, and we sat there chatting about the lovely people that we had met the night before and the greatest little dog called Rasher, who would do tricks for you at the drop of a hat, we would like to have stolen him. Sure enough, sooner than we expected, one of them Rose's made their way to the table lined up next to two of those big bowl style Waterford Glasses by yer man Rocha, which is as near as you can get to Rioja in pronunciation. Next thing we knew Indian food was at the door being delivered by a man who motioned that he was either not capable of speaking, or was merely sparing his own embarrassment by tr! ying to communicate in a language that he didn't have. He smiled beautifully though and put his index finger to his lips in a 'don't speak' gesture. The whole thing was very effective and we decided to give him a seven dollar tip instead of the adequate five, Clare dropped her head to one side and said 'Aw!' after he was gone. There was a lot of bread! We only ordered one, but they put bread with everything, it was mounted on a plate in the middle of the table, the birds were starting to queue at the window, knowing that it was only matter of time before they would be feasting on Indian bread. The ice cold Rose went down beautifully with the Indian food and soon the empty bottles were starting to head towards the door. We now decided it was time to drink and skype. We got our friend Jamie on the phone, he lives upstate and used to live in the City, so I took him over to look out the window, he was yapping away in the computer as I showed him around the apartment. Then I closed the lid and said goodbye, we thought that he sounded like he might a little glass of something on the go too, well it was Saturday afternoon! Now it was half five, I decided it was the perfect time to skype Leni and Joe otherwise known as The Darling Sins, a group that I am producing from Ireland, they were in bed watching a Movie, we had a good chat and I gave them a pep talk, I had to admit that I was well oiled in case they could tell anyhow. Now we went into the sitting room and listened to some vinyl all cosied up on the couch with our new cosy blankee that Clare bought recently. It basically feels like a big teddy bear is wrapped around you. I noticed that Clare was getting sleepy. She fell asleep! I kept drinking and playing records. Now because there was no-one sharing it with me, I lacked the monitoring that comes with sharing. I put Clare to bed, and continued on my own, all the while planning on going out to Percy's Tavern to see this great Band (their name escapes me) that was there last night. Suddenly it dawned on me around half seven or so, that I wasn't going to make it to 10;30 when they would start. In fact that rational was accompanied by another slightly upsetting update; the room was beginning to spin a little! 'Ah I'll be alright' said I and poured another glass as I threw on the B side of the single 'Tubelar Bells' which I had found in a street market recently. The announcers voice we! nt through the instruments while the multiple guitars repeated that hypnotic riff 'piccolo' 'trumpet' etc I don't remember him reaching the 'Tubelar Bells' that may have been when I climaxed too in our small blue toilet spinning around like a Victorian Space Capsule. Ah well, there was probably too much sodium in that Indian food anyway. And now the news. I loved playing at Percy's Tavern so much that I am returning there on Friday march 4th. If you want to come, please reserve here at claregturnerATgmail.com Those of you who were there last time said that there something great about that pub environment. And although it got noisy sometimes it was still a real crack. And the venue has been chosen for South by South West in Austin Texas. I will be performing at Esther's Follies, they have a grand piano and I will employ a Violinist and Violist from Austin for the gig. I perform (now) on March 17 at 11pm. And on March 18th as past of the impressive Irish contingent at a place called BD Reilly'e I will perform at 12;30 that day. Paddy Reilly's is celebrating it's 25th Anniversary and I will be there as part of a month of music celebration. I will be there on Thursday March 31st. Wexford Art Centre is on June 4th. PERCY'S TAVERN FRIDAY March 4TH 9pm Start finish by 11 pm A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT PERCY'S TAVERN - in the East Village Percy's is owned by the great Larry Watson, you must remember him from Paddy Reilly's It's a cosy new Tavern on Ave A 210 Ave A, cross street 13th Tel. 212 473 7770 also takes reservation Website: http://www.percysnyc.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/1/2011 SPECIAL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY March 4TH 9pm Start Returning to the scene of the wine A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT Pierce Turner at PERCY'S TAVERN Ave A corner of 13th St Reserve here with us for a table claregturner at gmail.com I don't want to be famous so bad that I would cry for it. I was once standing in the corridor of a major record company in New York when a well-known female singer who was a stable mate, got the information that her debut album looked like it was going to be a flop. After the president of the record company and her manager informed her of the bad news she started crying her eyes out. I was taken aback that she would take it so badly and felt very sorry for her. I mentioned to the manager how sad it was, and he said, with a knowing lift of his brow don't worry, the situation will be rectified by Monday morning! Three weeks later her single was in the charts. It seems that the president was impressed that she took her failure so much to heart. Perhaps this is what record companies want? Artists who will cry for fame! When I was a teenager I might have cried, but not anymore, and I've become comfortable with the bed that I made. I sleep well and I can sleep anytime I choose to! I can't imagine being trapped by the charts. It doesn't matter who you are or how talented, eventually you will slip from the top slot and be replaced. It's just as inevitable as the certainty in my life that I will never have a number one! I like the fact that there is always room for me to climb. I've gained such little ground that I always have a reasonable reason to get up in the morning. And I guard that premise with great care, in fact I may believe that this is the secret to a long challenging life. I had a big time manager once and he called me up one day to lay out his future plans for my career. It was everything that I had ever wanted in a manager at last, and when I got it-it scared the shit out of me. I took off all my clothes, put on my sleepy shirt and went straight back to bed. I love my bed too much to be famous. Sometimes I have lots of energy and I make loads of elaborate plans. I get on the phone and book a bunch of gigs, residencies and all kinds of stamina testing events. But inevitably between the sound check and the show I start to get melancholic and begin to wonder why am I doing this to myself, I could be at home all tucked up and watching the tellee in bed. I can't imagine that Madonna thinks like this. I'd say if she feels like cutting her own throat from depression, she's more likely to cut someone else's. I love music and I love entertaining people. But unfortunately most of them live elsewhere and I hate the discomfort of travelling. Don't get me wrong I have done it! Once I had a major record deal and I travelled all over the country in a bus. It was incredibly disruptive. Do you know what a phoner is? It's an interview on the telephone. Even though I was hardly setting the world on fire, I still had three or four phoners ever day. Often times when the rest of the band were asleep. And then we would get on the bus and drive hundreds of miles to the next venue; this was in America of course. If this were in Ireland we would have driven into the sea before breakfast. I hated having a band and a road crew. Young good-looking shites still getting a kick out of looking at each other's passport photos. The tour would try to get hold of my passport so that he could check me in at Airports-I told him to get lost. Then he got wind that I was into Yoga and a sort of a health food type-so he ordered me a vegetarian meal on the plane. I was livid; you know the shite that they serve to shut up veggies! This is the trouble. Everyone starts to overthink-treating you like you're someone-when you're only trying to make a living, doing what you love! It's very strenuous At one point we had been on the road for two weeks I hadn't done my laundry yet. This English guy who was in the band had been on the road far more than me and he would get to the Motel washing machine before I was finished stretching my arms and saying thank God we're here! I was getting really desperate. I had to become sharper and think ahead. The next time we stop I will forgo all normal activities-like checking in and taking my bag to my room. I must sit as near to the bus door as possible and get off with only one objective-find the washing machine! So that's exactly what I did!. The only detour that I made was to enquire at the desk about it's whereabouts I dragged my big brown suit bag-stuffed to the gills with smelly, sweaty stage clothes,T-shirts and underwear- down the winding hall way past the vending machines to the little closed off laundry room with the cinder block walls. At last, I thought to myself I've had some savvy. But when I opened the door I was greeted with the familiar sound of a washing machine in motion - that familiar whir with little mettle things banging off the glass. I turned in disbelief to gaze into the suddsy little gold fish bowl and there they were-his tiny orange thongs spinning around in a frolic of bubbles. One minute more That's how close I am Only a minute away From turning it round And living again Because of the can't sleep at night poison My make-up's poor and not too flattering This dark ring and this dark ring This deep line and this decline Because of the book I read I know that this is watershed From a weaker mind way back then Before I could mould my element This dark ring and this dark ring This deep line and this decline This loose hair and this despair This deep freeze and this disease One minute more That's how close I am Only a minute away From turning it round And living again Because I couldn't get it done on Saturday I put it off till the following day Because it seemed to be more suitable But Sunday being a day of rest Confused me with an aftertaste And a caution for the killer fish Taking too much communal dish One minute more Then I'll have what I need It's becoming quite clear I could clinch the great deed With just a little more time SPECIAL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY March 4TH 9pm Start Returning to the scene of the wine A BAR GIG WITH PIERCE AT PERCY'S TAVERN - in the East Village Percy's is owned by the great Larry Watson, you must remember him from Paddy Reilly's It's a cosy new Tavern on Ave A 210 Ave A, cross street 13th Tel. 212 473 7770 also takes reservation Website: http://www.percysnyc.com Larry will bring his upright piano down from the country, so this will be like a parlour gig in a Tavern. Fine wines, spirits, food and beer will be served and tables with chairs --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/25/2011 We've just restaged the movie 'Trains Planes and Automobiles'! After we got out of Austin airport at around 10pm we licked up the hired car. My license is in Ireland, so Clare had to do all the driving, I have driven a good bit in America, but Clare has not, and is a little nervous here. Once we were suitably ripped off by the grey haired lady with the most benign appearance imaginable. 'And let me see if I have a special' Mmmm, 'but how much is that Mrs' (She looks like someone's granny) 'Oh just $39 a day extra' 'ah no we won't bother with the convertible' anyway we get some kind of very nice Vokswagen car and off we go on our merry googlemap way. It didn't take long for to appear completely lost. We were starting to notice that the same place was being revisited. I was reading the map, but the google map was useless, and nothing appeared before us as written. Then the first 'T.P.and A' moment emerged. People started flashing us, we complained to each other about their impatience with us two 'out of Towner's' and thought that they were way too fond of their horns! I had to remind Clare constantly which side of the road that we were supposed to be on, and presumed that this was why they were annoyed! Then a Woman passed us by on the left and was flashing so much that we had to look at her. She was frantically pointing down at our wheels (we thought) 'what the hell is wrong with her!' another one beeped and another one flashed! 'Maybe something is wrong and we should pull over' Clare doesn't like to pull over, she thinks it's dangerous, 'but that's what the lay by's are for!' 'Nope we could get hit by a truck' 'WE HAVE TO!' she pulls over, I go to the front of the car, the LIGHTS are OFF!! For f***k sake! We fiddle with the knobs for 5 or 20 mins, got em back on. A really big knob that was too obvious to be true. Head out on the road the next morning to pick up the violinist because his car has broken down. No idea where we are going again. We get lost 12 times. I call Jamie the violinist for the 12 th time, while I am frantically picking his brain, I look up and notice something extremely startling, there are only 2 lanes and there is a car in each one coming towards us! 'CLARE, WE ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY ON THE HIGHWAY!' Have to call you back Jamie! 'Pull over to the left Clare and let's cover our heads and kiss our arses goodbye!' There was no sign! she swore, and I almost became a Muslim in gratitude to any deity that would have me. We turned around to a chorus of amazed and blazed faced drivers. We danced with death and lived to tell the tale, phew! Fred Parcells and myself have toured the world together, he is the best trombonist alive and he sings harmony like a bird with me. We will play together for the first time in 1 and a half years. I haven't played in Paddy Reilly's Music Bar for years. But it's their 25th anniversary and the proprietor Steve Duggan is having a few special gigs. This may be my last gig before returning to Ireland, and it will be a good one I promise. My love is captured in the vessel that you carry. Carry me carefully and I promise not to spill all over your good coat. I am off now to dig up some old classics for Paddy's. Come, come come!! Pxxxxxxx Thursday March 31st at 9pm sharp Paddy Reilly's 519 2nd Ave Corner of 29th St --------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/8/2011 I don't know how these bloomin buggers blog every bleedin' day, it's taken me all this time to think of one bloody thing to say. Just got back on the windy sod, no wonder no one wears toupes anymore over here, it would end up in your sandwich or in the Say! (Sea) Had a very nice flight over, everything was fine, but what is going on with the security now in the Airport? It seems like every airline does it differently. This time they made me take almost everything off, I was worried that they were suspicious that I might be new The Underpants Bomber! But this part I really don't get! After taking all my screwdrivers and string cutters and anything resembling the slightest threat out of my shoulder bag. They give us real steel knifes and forks to eat our food. I have had my stuff confiscated several times for nothing, it now seems, even gaffer tape for Christ's sake. Ran on the beach yesterday down in Rosslare Strand, and again I ran into someone from Dublin! That place is full of quiet Dubliners. This time it was Sara and her lovely family plus their French visitor Lisa who had just lost her earring. I was struggling along with the jet lag hanging on to my ankles, and Sara was on the phone to her husband Brian 'Look, here's Pierce Turner running along the beach!' of course she could show him right there and then what that looked like! With the wind trying to blow me back a foot for every two feet forward. I had to put my head down and speed up a bit until I got over the next sand bank where I lay down and panted for as long as I could. While I was lying there It occurred to me that so many Irish people are holidaying around here in the sunny southeast during the summer, that you might want to be aware of my first gig here this summer at the Wexford Art Centre on Saturday June 4th, take a Taxi and get pissed! And if not go home to see! yer Mammy and come to Whelans in Dublin on Saturday June 18th. I got up just before Sara and family came over the hump and ran on as best I could carrying this thought and thinking that I might mention it in a letter, which is what I'm doing as we speak. It's a bit disconcerting all this going back and forth, now I miss my New Yorkers! But I look forward to seeing my Irish sausages too, yes sausages, I've been told that I'm saying that too much, but I like it, and it's my letter. It might be time to draw attention to the up and coming gigs though, as it won't be long until that time when you can say ' oh I thought it was next week that you were playing!' But I only survive because of you! So for God sake get the ball rolling, unless you want me to seek gainful employment in a shirt factory. If you want to come to Whelans you can book here for cheaper by emailing claregturneratgmail.com we can't book the other ones I'm afraid. I just emailed Karen Dalton (Violin , Viola)in Majorca to confirm her and Gavan on double and electric bass, got to get Pat and the horse box with the Piano in it. And Bobs your dog! I have some toppin new songs and now I am REALLY on my way with this 'gone with the wind' album. But twill be worth it I promise. On top of that on June 11th (Sat) I will play in Cobh county Cork for the first time ever at their beautiful Sirius art centre by the sea. My sister Bernie has been trying to get me to play there for years, I am slow, but deliberate! And lastly I am going to my friend Helen's 40th birthday party this weekend ALL weekend, and I wrote this for her birthday card, maybe one of you would like to use it for your friend, after all everyone hasn't got as much time as me to lie in bed writing shite. From now on you have to start warming up your vocal chords in the shower, I am back , and you better be good! I love you more than Barcelona. Pierce.xxxxxx Helen's 40th Helen she is pretty Pretty smart too! Two books in a week I'd say Maybe even one a day Days; 365 in a year If 60 is the new 40 And 40 is the new 20 Helen is now 20 And if all this follows 20 is the new zero Which means Helen Lacey nee Doyle Begins her life today on May 7th 2011 Happy birthday Baby! PIERCE TURNER JUNE DATES IN IRELAND THE WEXFORD ART CENTRE Corn market Wexford Town (where I'm from) Sat June 4th at 8 PM SIRIUS ART CENTRE COBH COBH CO CORK SAT JUNE 11TH 8PM WHELAN'S DUBLIN WEXFORD STREET JUNE 18TH 8PM --------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/14/2011 I don't go to school, I don't have a job, I don't play gigs, and I don't do the dishes! I don't pay the bills, I don't light the fire, I don't bring out the rubbish, and I don't make tea! No, none of that for me. Sometimes at night I go out for a stroll, when I come back I like a little snack, if Clare is asleep I wake her up to make me a spread. I have my own seat right in front of the fire, I keep one eye on the flat screen tellee, nodding off every now and then, pleasantly awaiting my next livation. I keep no hours, none in particular, and because I'm well rested I'm always available for a bit of fun or affection. I have two homes, one for the winter and one for the summer. Each one has it's own foibles, but all of the above remains the same. I don't compromise my standards when it comes to relaxation, comfort or food. My name is Albert Turner I am an adopted feline tabby cat (15lbs) and my Summer parents are Clare and Pierce, I have them under my thumb because they feel so guilty about leaving me here with my other parents Ann and Ian during the winter. Ann and Ian spoil me in the winter because they miss me during the summer. It's all working out very well. OK Pierce, Just sign it love Albert xxxxxx And tell 'em when your playing, we need some money comin in 'round ere! Wexford Arts Centre, Saturday June 4th Tel. 053 912 3764 boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie Sirius Arts Centre, Saturday 11th June The Old Yacht Club, Cobh, Co. Cork, Phone/Fax +353 21 481 3790 email: cobharts@iol http://www.siriusartscentre.ie Whelans, Dublin 18th June 2011 (Sat) Wexford St. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 5/21/2011 When we arrived here last summer there was blackbird family that were under the impression that we had gone for good and that it was now their place of residence. The Mother just ran around the parameter of our extended kitchen roof. Screaming her brains out 'get outa here, get off my property!' she seemed to be shouting. It went on all day long, she was furious with us. Then with time her chicks started to show up, it did not escape our cat Albert's attention. They all seemed pretty sharp and managed to stay well beyond Albert's reach as they tweeted and fluttered around. The Mother was exhausted from screaming at us now and appeared to be going hoarse. One morning I was eating my breakfast and looking through the French doors at our sun soaked garden and thinking what a lovely job Clare had done with the flowers, when Albert went walking past with a baby Blackbird in his mouth, I ran out in a panic and squeezed his jaws until his grip relaxed, he is very gentle cat really and didn't mind handing the chick back to me. Clare and I knew where the nest was and placed the little fella right next to it on the roof of the bicycle shed. He appeared to be ok. A couple of days later we had an exact replay. Albert was seen walking by once again with what appeared to be the same bird. We freed it again. All told it happened three or four times. And the bird was looking more and more haggard, but he carried on. We watched him grow and as he got bigger he appeared to have a couple of bald spots from the fiasco of his earlier exploits. Winter came; we took Albert out to his winter residence and headed back to New York. So now we're back and you know what? That blackbird is still around and of course fully-grown. I see him almost every day, I know it's him because he still has the bald spots and his feathers are still all askew, in short he is a holy show, he looks a bit like Rod Stewart's hair at it's most unmade best. He looks absolutely dreadful but appears to be ok hanging out in the tree and nibbling on the breadcrumbs that Clare throws in the garden for him. And up above our heads seated on the TV aerial which sits atop our chimney sings a blackbird that may be the Mother! She tweets the most complex aria's straight from the pen of God and I do hope to God she doesn't get pregnant again, because I like this a lot more than when she screamed at us all day long to 'get to hell out of here' After all I do live here! But perhaps she is thinking the same thing. I hope you are out there you never write any more, you must be so busy, and here I am loving you more than sushi. Pierce xxx claregturnerATgmail.com JUNE DATES Wexford Arts Centre, Saturday June 4th Tel. 053 912 3764 boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie 8pm tickets 18 Euros Sirius Arts Centre, Saturday 11th June The Old Yacht Club, Cobh, Co. Cork, Phone/Fax +353 21 481 3790 www.siriusartscentre.ie 8pm tickets 18 Euros Whelans, Dublin 18th June 2011 (Sat) 25 Wexford St. Dublin Tickets: available www.ticketmaster.ie or Tel.0818 719300 WAV Tel.1890 200 078. or through ourselves on our guaranteed reservation --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/11/2011 Frank Phelan (The Busy Man himself) says on facebook about Sat June 18th; This could be the 'Gig for the Year'! Bring anyone who means anything to you, - they will love you forever! Bring the black-bloodest of your black-blooded enemies - their blood will be cleansed, and their affection reclaimed. The drip-drip of negativity that permeates our entire existence will be vaporised to replenishing and life-affirming nectar! Get to this gig. You will be rewarded! I was running on Curracloe today in the sun at times and the rain, at times. A large foreboding cloud held on to a massive front of the northern sky so I ran in the opposite direction as it took to chasing me across the powdered mounds of pristine sand. When I returned there was a podium erected at the entrance to the beach with 50 or so grey cushioned folding chairs neatly place in rows of ten before it. The Minister for the environment was craning his neck on the podium to reach a Shure 58 microphone that sat inside a goose neck mike stand, six or so inches above his mouth. From where I stood he was inaudible, but standing above his right shoulder about a hundred yards away on top of the grassed dune stood a beautiful blonde being photographed with her arms outstretched like a great bird threatening to take toward the sky on a glide of blue flag with the EU emblem for first class environmentally clean beach stamped on its centre. Once more this beautiful seven mile long strand has been given the highest honour that can be bestowed upon anything that happens to be a beach in the European Union. The sight though, of the podium, the chairs, the Mayor with all his golden chains and the numerous cameras on an empty Thursday afternoon strand was pretty eerie to me. A mile or two behind him one could see the dunes and beachfront where Stephen Spielberg simulated the Dunkirk landing in the film 'Saving Private Ryan' - settled in to peace now, once again. Whelan's next Saturday June 18th I have booked the Piano, Pat will drive it up to Dublin in the horsebox and I'll meet him at the Silver Tassie so as to guide him and the Piano carefully in to the City proper. The cavalcade should arrive around 4pm for an 8pm gig. I have Eugene Campbell booked to play his beautiful trumpet behind the glass bell, Garvan Gallagher on stand up Bass and two other basses and chant enthusiastically with you, myself on Piano and Guitar and a heap of new songs that we played for the first time in Wexford on June 4th, the reaction was beyond my wildest hopes, thanks be to Jasus. This will be a great gig, miss it at your peril!! Book it now, here if you want a break in the price, Whelans have agreed to a special recession deal which allows us to let people book with us here at 18 euro a head. So write here for the deal claregturnerATgmail.com Whelans, Dublin 18th June 2011 (Sat) 25 Wexford St. Dublin Tickets: available www.ticketmaster.ie or Tel.0818 719300 WAV Tel.1890 200 078. or through ourselves on our guaranteed reservation list email: claregturnerATgmail.com show 8.30pm When you're down in Dublin Town Hanging out in our old favourite haunts You're bound to see my ex I bet she's flying there filled with fire So be careful what you say to her Just tell her that I'm OK My broken heart might bring her down And I don't want her to feel that way Come Hum With Us There. I love you more than Rhubarb tart and tea. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/15/2011 Listen lads I know you always leave it till the last second (my own philosophy) but would you please just tell me if you are coming to Whelans? I've bitten my nails down to the hub with worry about the expenses, there's the Piano and the horsebox, the musicians, the roadie, the petrol and the tea and samwiches, not to mention Clare getting her hair done. Surely you are not going to Take That at Croke Park' I woulda thought you had out grown That-Take! It's gotten so out of hand here, Take That are playing to 80.000 people Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, George Michael, Coldplay, FooFighters, The Electric Picnic, Oxegen, Slane (with U2) and every little fartarse village running their own festivals with duck races and Pig Derbys all in a country of 4 and a half million! I haven't even mentioned the Gala's and benefits and Classical events, or the thousands of artists that will come here who are slightly less popular who will only draw a mere one or two thousand, and of course the other thousand like me who are playing in places like Whelans to an audience of 2 or 3 hundred (hopefully) throw into that mix the outrageous 'keep up with the Jones's' events like 20.000 euro weddings and Holy Communion and Confirmations that are threatening to be as big as a wedding, all this in a country that is on its knees with a recession that is only barely fighting off the letters D .P and R. Oh and don't forget the new super Casino that is projected for Tipperary! In a little place called Boris I believe, a 500 bedroom Hotel, a Racecourse, a Dog Track, one of the biggest Casino's in the western hemisphere and wait for it; an Original replica of The White House!! Soon all the small things will be gone, and small things pay taxes, big things don't! (Look at Bono) the result, we are already experiencing, no money for the frail of our society. What I earn here gets spent here, the others leave with bags of money to go in there off shore accounts, I spend mine in the garage on my way home driving down the N11 with the hush of late night radio, to the cooing of Maxi hopping from Dylan to Streisand and from there to some horrendous cover of a Beatles classic, but that's Ireland, and I love and understand it better that any superduperstar with catered food from a gourmet chef hopping on a private jet to London for another frolic! I need you lads, they don't! Book here for 18 euro reservations claregturnerATgmail.com Love from the Model County. Pierce xxxxxxx Whelans, Dublin 18th June 2011 (Sat) 25 Wexford St. Dublin Tickets: available www.ticketmaster.ie or Tel.0818 719300 WAV Tel.1890 200 078. show 8.30pm --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/18/2011 Don't go to Whelans tomorrow night! June 18th After all the fuss about making you buy tickets sooner, the response has been amazing, bookings have come flying in and now it looks like we would have a great night, but oh no, no, no! While I was making you hurry up to buy tickets I was also ignoring a cold, assuming that it was an allergy of some kind. Then I started coughing like a maniac, all night long violent stuff, woke up on Thursday without a note in my head. Went to the Doctor, she said that I had ripped my throat out and that I should shut up for a day. So I shut up all day yesterday and steamed for hours, took antibiotics 'cos it is on my chest, hummed (that's like massage for the vocal chords) drank pineapple juice and coconut water for hydration, took zinc, bit on vitamin E before going to bed-to heal. I am so pissed off, just checked my voice and it's a bit better. but not near better enough. I know that if I do it I will rip my throat out and I have an album to record this summer. Furthermore it wouldn!'t be good enough anyhow, and then I would be letting people down. I should add to this that Clare is sick too, and she's my driver. This is actually historical as I have never cancelled because of illness, I played once at Whelans with a broken arm and another time with Vertigo, out on those tables! But I got a node on my vocal chords a few years back from singing through a vocal problem, the result was an expensive operation and I don't want another one. I am so sorry lads, I honestly would go there just to see you, but I wouldn't be even able to talk! Whelan's are not angry and have asked me to do it again in a couple of months. What do you think? I love you more than bruschetta. Pierce xxxxxx --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/11/2011 Went to my Sisters house for dinner last night. She lives on the other side of the Bridge, up a bit to the left, in around the old stone wall, and up just past the nub of a an old bridge long since dismantled for safety reasons. Most people would take a right turn at the end of that road nowadays instead of a left on to the old bridge once the only way to get into Town. To the right under the tall dark leafed tree tunnel the narrow pot holed road leads to the very popular Crosstown Graveyard, the home for most Wexford town residents after they retire from life. However if you do take a left nowadays, you do so with the knowledge that there are private houses up there, just to the right of the long gone bridge. That's where my Sister Delores lives with her husband Toddy. Their house has a large garden, which slopes right down to the River Slaney. Even at 11 0' Clock it was still daylight and you could look out through the sliding doors at the glistening River gliding along under the massive old Trees at the bottom of her garden. While we sat there chatting the evening light went through its various shades as it passed the time. I suppose we did too, but I couldn't see our colours so clearly, maybe if the evening looked at us it could' But evenings don't look do they' Still that one carried on like it knew that someone was watching it. At first the sun shone a bright golden lamp across the garden throwing long dark shadows, and we talked, then the light turned amber and the old nuns convent on the far bank with the schoolhouse and chapel, appeared to turn sepia. We poured some more wine, the sun went cold and applied platinum to the sky and the ground, the final bow before it turned inside out and left black porous silence between the yellow lights of town and the cloud-fighting moon. My Sister made two different types of pie, one of them resembled the steak pie that my Mother Molly used to make, my Sister Delores seems to have inherited her recipes, it was particularly delicious, and instead of steak she used chicken. The pastry was sumptuous. The other one also reminded me of my Mother in that Delores improvised some kind of curry, Chicken and something else within the delicious pastry. Of course there was new potatoes, and broccoli and Carrots and parsnips. After the meal she served a rhubarb crumble with ice cream that my Sister Bernie had made, and oodles of white and red wine washed the whole proceedings to its appointed destination. Coffee and tea was served before we hit the road back in to Town with my sober brother in law Dave doing the driving. I can't remember for the life of me say why I decided to tell you about this. But there I have done it so now it's done. I am excited about recording the new album, which will be recorded with 'a very small orchestra', and I have produced an Irish band called The Darling Sins that are causing quite a stir with the Record Companies. So there aren't many gigs because I'm busy doing that, and you know I hate being busy! But here are some gigs and one of them will be at the Fringe of the Wexford Opera Festival that one will be the debut of 'a very small orchestra' I am never here for the festival, so this is exciting. It will be at Greenacres Galleries, which has a beautiful baby grand piano, on Saturday October 29th (the holiday weekend). I want to sell it in advance, as the orchestra is expensive, so book here if you want to come its 20-euro. I will do most of the new songs that night. claregturnerATgmail.com Also Kilkenny on August at the beautiful Hole In the Wall on Friday August 19th. Back at Aras Chronain in Clondalkin on September 24th, that was really good one the last time, people who used to never leave their houses came out the last time, it was frightening. Great place. Other dates will arrive including a trip to England. And I am up for some House gigs again if you are! I did think of you as I ate the Rhubarb crumble with the ice cream, lovely and sweet.xxxxxx Ah sure musha god help yez. Pierce XXX Kilkenny The Hole in the Wall -Fri August 19th (capacity only 45) Clondalkin- Aras Chronain, Sat Sept 24th Wexford Town -Opera Festival Greenacres Galleries Sat Oct 29th --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/29/2011 Friday September 2nd will be a nostalgic night for those of us who come to Whelans of Wexford street in the city of Dublin just up the hill from Wexford Town and a stones throw from Wicklow, Finglas, Ballyfermot, Portlaoise, Meath, Cork, Gortahauk and Glennamaddy. After much haranguing by my very opinionated Irish pen pals about Getting Whelans back the way it was and that I should only play THERE For the rest of my whole bloody life, I have persuaded the club to put out its big old wooden tables the way they used to be. The club agreed that it would be a special occasion anyway as it will be my 20th anniversary, 'what'? Said I, 20 years since I first danced across the tables in Whelans? Many's the glass of nearly full beer were smashed in the blindness of the light, many's a filthy look were thrown my way, many's the ashtray went sliding like a hockey puck (that's history now) and smashed on the floor, many's the celebrity ran to hide upstairs, because the tables were lit like a stage and were slightly dangerous. Brad Pitt had so many bloody bodyguards that there was hardly any room for anyone else upstairs. But Christy Moore braved it out right there in the front. Unfortunately, while rushing out to the left flank of tables t! o slide on my knees towards the brethren for the chant in Moonbeam Josephine, I smothered Christy and his family in whatever it was they were drinking, I still feel bad about it. Many's the performer gave the greatest honour by stealing the table/stage idea, people like Jack L whom I'm told was there a few times. But it was no great mysterious invention, I just thought of the place as one big stage. At one point we even brought in one of those circus rope ladders, I had the idea that I would run to the side table, grab it and after swinging around the room for a while like Errol Flynn, I would climb up the balcony! Well we hung it over the side during the sound check and I had a go at it. I had no idea! it was bloody impossible! It buckled and twisted around me like a snake, forrgerrabouri! The rope ladder was returned. That was when Whelans had chairs with the cast iron legs, I did a run of Saturdays there once and on the first night we were running late on the sound check and there was a line around the block hugging the wall to avoid the rain. I hurriedly jumped off the stage on to a chair, the iron legs turned into perfect skates on the slate floor, I went flying into the worst fall of my life, a sort of summersault into mid-air, and while I was on the way down, head backwards, I took the time to notice the look of horror on the string quartets faces, I then landed on my left arm only narrowly missing the stage with my head. My left hand swelled up like a balloon, but the show had to go on. Next morning I was sitting next to a guy in the hospital who had fallen off his bike the night before and swore that his bike braked itself, but couldn't be sure 'cos he had taken ten pints! Meanwhile the nurse pulled cold wet cloths from a bucket of plaster of Paris. The following week Leo O' Kelly played guitar and I swung my cast around to great effect, of course they were all thinking; 'I knew he'd fall offa dem tables wan day' Hundreds of photos were taken at Whelans over the years, if you have any good ones will you PLEASE send them to me? Thanks. So lads here's the deal, Whelans have agreed to this; if you book in advance through us here or Whelans WAV it will be 18 euro. At the door on the night it will be 20. Or you can use Tickemaster with the usual surcharge. I will dust off the old tracks and signs and get my dancing shoes out, fuck the begrudgers and the purists (we might be getting over that!), this will be our party and we'll cry if we want to! This first though, Kilkenny where I had a triffic sold out Gig last Kilkenny Arts Festival. This amazing venue is much smaller though it only holds 45 people and it truly is gorgeous, look at their site. * Pierce Turner Friday Aug 19th at 8.30pm Kilkenny Hole in the Wall Tickets are on sale from Rollercoaster Records, 056 77 63669 and are priced at 20. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hole-In-The-Wall-Kilkenny/126624194026231 * Whelans Dublin 20th anniversary gig book now 18 euro 20 at door September 2nd -9pm Book here at claregturnerATgmail.com * Aras Chronain Clondalkin Sat Sept 24th This is like a throwback to a small dance hall with a balcony an all. People came down from the Wicklow Hills and everything the last time * Sat Oct 29th The fringe of the Wexford Opera Festival Greenacres Art Galleries. This will be the debut of my Very Small Orchestra, the line-up for my up and coming album. They have a beautiful Yamaha mini Grand and it holds 150 people, this will definitely be sold out, so book now. * finally I am heading over to England before this I will perform at The Slaughtered Lamb in London on September 29th. I will be in England for the first two weeks of October, All of you lads that wanted to do house gigs over there, Now's your chance. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/18/2011 Working hard here, don't really know if I'm getting anywhere. But it's hard work trying to get where I'm not sure that I'm going. I'm nearly always behind, I hammer away and think I must be making progress, but I never actually feel that I've finished something. Sometimes I don't know what's wrong with me, after numerous days back to back of that feeling, I become irritable and annoying to be around, finally I take myself to one side and give myself a good talking to. That's when I turn to the list. grab a piece of paper from the printer tray and write down all the things I'm supposed to do. I fill side one from top to bottom, numbering each thing, and then turn it over for a good few more. I throw the paper on the table and decide to tackle it tomorrow. The first thing on the list was to write to you and remind you about Whelans on Sept 2nd. And that Whelans told me to tell you that the early bird special of 18 euro expires the previous Friday to the gig August 26th. So if you want to save a few bob reserve before then. And the second thing was to remind you that I am playing in London on September 29th for the first time in a long time. And the third thing is that I have been accepted by Pledgemusic to do a crowdfunding for my forthcoming album to raise a budget, all sorts of things will be on offer and we will launch it at Whelans with fancy beermats that will have a code on the back of them for you to scan your smartphone across and see a special video of...you'll see! And now that I've done three things I have to say I feel none the more on top of it. I have the music though and I'm ready to make an album! small detail. But that's not on the list. Also on the list I have to make a video for the beermats! and get a photo for the beermats. Ye see you fix one thing and it leads to another. I'm going to bed. I am starting to feel the heat of Kilkenny this Friday and WHelan's on the wooden tables. Book now with us at claregturnerATgmail.com or contact ; wav ph1890200078 for the early bird tickets. Or the link www.whelanslive.com We have a lot of wasps down here, pesky little things flying in my tea. Just thought I'd tell ya that as the day unwinds. Come out lads I will be singing the staples on the Whelans old tables. xxxxxPierce. Subject; Pierce Turner 20th Anniversary in Whelans Friday September 2nd will be a nostalgic night for those of us who come to Whelans of Wexford street in the city of Dublin just up the hill from Wexford Town and a stones throw from Wicklow, Finglas, Ballyfermot, Portlaoise, Meath, Cork, Gortahauk and Glennamaddy. 29th Sept (Thursday) show @ 9pm The Slaughtered Lamb 34-35 Great Sutton St City of London EC1V 0DX, United Kingdom 020 7253 1516 http://www.theslaughteredlambpub.com/ Sat Oct 29th The fringe of the Wexford Opera Festival Greenacres Art Galleries. This will be the debut of my Very Small Orchestra, the line-up for my up and coming album. They have a beautiful Yamaha mini Grand and it holds 150 people, this will definitely be sold out, so book now. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/1/2011 Went for a run up at the racecourse this morning. I followed the path of the horses. It starts off fine, I thought 'what's the big deal' it was a beautiful sunny morning and the sky was as wide and big as any cowboy country. Then suddenly I found myself labouring (yes there's a U! and I'm being yelled at by the spell check, but if I didn't put a U in there where I went to school, I would have been tortured for hours) it was a sneaky rise in the track-suddenly I was going up a very slow hill-not steep, but big and long. I could see why it was necessary to have a horse. Then a man came along driving a tractor whilst pulling a ginormous lawnmower behind him (I got the WHILST from Clare) and he was spitting grass everywhere as he attempted to mow what looked like the entire country. Now, I'm not used to allergies, they are new to my world, and someone told me recently that if you have allergies when you're young, that you can grow out of them. But if you get them when you're older you never get rid of them! Thank you Mary Kelly (my friend) So I run all around the track a couple of times, with the tractor put- putting away nearby, couldn't get away from the bugger. Now I sit here sneezing and would like to wrap that tractor around his nose. This Friday September 2nd I will play my 20th anniversary gig in Whelan's of Wexford Street, Dublin. Also that night I will launch my Pledgemusic.com crowd funder to raise the budget for my next album, Pierce Turner with a Verry Small Orchestra (yes 2 R's) I will be offering all kinds of incentives to you my little lovelies to gain you're advance support for this my 8th studio album. Hopefully when the time comes this weekend you will find something interesting in the bag of goodies. I will keep you informed. I have been practicing my dancing, and Whelan's are bringing in the big old solid wooden tables for me to slide upon, hold on to your pints, I'll hold on to my pants. Only four days to go. Book with us here at claregturnerATgmail.com or go to Ticketmaster, or Whelan's WAV. The sneezing has stopped now! Must be cos I'm looking forward to seeing the Dublin gang again. I love you as much as my Cat. Pierce xxxxxxxx Whelans Dublin 20th anniversary gig Fri.September 2nd -9pm WAV or Ticketmaster Book here at claregturnerATgmail.com Aras Chronain Clondalkin Sat. Sept 24th Áras Chronain Irish Cultural Centre Watery Lane, Orchard Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. T: +353-1-4574847 F: +353-1-4574117 E: eolas@araschronain.ie This is like a throwback to a small dance hall with a balcony an all. People came down from the Wicklow Hills and everything the last time Sat Oct 29th The fringe of the Wexford Opera Festival Greenacres Art Galleries. Selskar Wexford. This will be the debut of my Very Small Orchestra, the line-up for my up and coming album. They have a beautiful Yamaha mini Grand and it holds 150 people, this will definitely be sold out, so book now. Finally I am heading over to England before this I will perform at The Slaughtered Lamb in London on September 29th.LONDON: The Slaughtered Lamb 34-35 Great Sutton St. Clerkenwell London EC1V ODX http://www.wegottickets.com/event/131224 I will be in England for the first two weeks of October, All of you lads that wanted to do house gigs over there, Now's your chance, have a couple booked already- claregturnerATgmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/4/2011 I played in Dublin on September 2nd, it was a Friday! And the man who books Whelan’s in Dublin warned me that it would clash with a big music festival in Ireland, the best fest they say, called The Electric Picnic. I said “ well there is always something isn’t there'” so bugger it let’s risk it for a biscuit. I don’t know anyone who goes there anyhow. But then on Monday I see in the paper that Ireland will be playing Slovakia in a qualifier soccer match for the European Cup. Now that’s a whole different matter! So I said that I would start after the match was over to try and appease those interested (nearly everyone over two years of age). It was actually Whelan’s idea, but then when we figured out that that would mean starting at 9.30 I was told that would be fine so long as I finished by 11 PM. Of course I usually play for 2 hours so I had to start at 9pm. Some of you missed the first half hour and I'm sorry about that, but you still got an hour and a half. And half the people who are usually there didn’t turn up at all, so they missed two hours, and I’m telling you they missed two of the greatest hours I have ever spent on stage. The audience was like a dancing choir. We raked ourselves across all the ould songs and they even brought in the old tables from Finglas where they have been out to pasture. Thank you for a magnificently great night, thank you. And also what a great start to the Pledge Music campaign, God it’s inspiring to have this great support coming in already. Thank you to those who have pledged so far. Just so that you understand, this is the way it works: Pledge has set a realistic financial goal for my album based on their estimation of my possibilities. I have 60 more days to reach that goal, if I don’t reach it by then the project fails and everyone gets their money back. And the album goes on the back burner once more, that should make you feel guilty enough to come out of the shadows! As the Pledges come in the pledgeometer goes up and up accordingly and the more movement there is, the more attention Pledge will give it. This is a worldwide site and it has a high profile, doing well on here will not only raise the money for the album, but it will give the album some impetus to start off with, very useful for TV, Radio and Press. So if you have always been a supporter and wondered why I don’t get more going for me, now’s your chance to help sort that problem out - after all I’m hardly about to go on X Factor! By the way when you go to Pledge Music you will see where I am on the Pledgeometer, please tell your friends and your friends friends and their children and their Mammy’s and Daddy’s and their Mammy’s and Daddy’s, Mammy and Daddy. We had small Video cameras flying around Whelan’s across pints of Guinness, up skirts and under arses and we will be posting some of them up for the pledgers. So once you pledge you will start hearing and seeing all kinds of new videos that I will be hand-making, and hearing unusual versions of new songs and covers. I’m telling ye, ye have to come on board! We are going racing! Big time. Just click on the link below and it will take you to my Pledge Music page. Love, Pierce. P.S. Upcoming gigs in Clondalkin (Sept 24th), London (Sept 29th), Wexford (Oct 29th) Available for house gigs in England in the first 2 weeks of October. Full details of all gigs on my website here: http://www.pierceturner.com
1/25/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Returning to Joe's Pub
First things first - some of you have said that these newsletters come out garbled
when you get them. There's a couple of things you can try: your email settings
might be blocking HTML and graphics from getting through - if so, you can change
your settings to allow them be downloaded. Within this message, you'll hopefully
see a link near the top where you can click to view it in the browser if it's
not displaying correctly. Also, right at the bottom, there's a link to update
your preferences. You can click on it and it will take you to a page where you can
change your settings and choose to receive emails as text only if you prefer.
So this is 2012? I thought so! I knew I wouldn’t know it when I saw it, and sure as shit, I was right. It’s good that we had a party on New Years Eve, otherwise there wouldn’t have been any difference between that Sunday and Saturday and any other pair of days. But the smell of copious beer bottles and the layers of shoe muck scrawled all over the kitchen floor, chairs that belong in the house out in the garden and the fact that half past noon felt like 8 am earmarked this as some kind of different thingameebob. But let’s not go nuts here, very little has changed and if it has, you probably won’t know about it for some while. Maybe in five years time I’ll see a photo of us sending the Chinese lanterns off in the garden and the horror in our faces as they twist and turn in the multi directional Irish wind formidably swirling and driving them back down towards a sleeping neighbours roof! And of course I will see that I looked considerably younger, and far better than I thought, and wonder why I wasn’t happier that way? Yes time will tell that this was an important passage, but time, my time anyway, doesn’t register at the rate of fiscal measurement, I think I am operating on a kind of 5 years to one ratio! So really I think we are having too many New Years, one every 5 years would be far more reasonable. This letter is to give good news and sad news to my American friends. The good news is that we have a New York gig set up for Saturday the 3rd of March at the internationally renowned Joe’s Pub of Manhattan at 7pm. The sad news is that the lovely Jaimee Young will not be in the audience. Jaimee has hardly missed one gig in in the last 15 years, but sadly at the heartbreaking age of 36 Jaimee succumbed to a year long battle with cancer this January. Many of you who live in N.Y would know her, as she had the most beautiful smile and just filled the room with sunshine. So it will be very strange not to have Jaimee there, but I will give it every ounce that I can for her memory, this is dedicated to you Jaimee, with all my love. I miss you from here and I will miss you there, your silence is everywhere. The new album is almost done! And I think Jaimee would have loved it. You will have heard a good few of the songs live already. We recorded the strings last Friday and they sound amazing. I wrote a lot more string parts than usual, and now I do write them on my own, as my friend Fred Parcells isn’t next door any more. I was really bloody nervous sitting in the control room with the parts in front of me, knowing that the constraints of the budget meant that we had to pull it off in one day (that’s the strings only) but of course like all things in life- you get back what you put in-and all those late evenings of tearing my hair out with the aim to not let any second of the arrangement be lazy or lame paid off. Fiachra Trench (of orchestral fame) sat behind me for a little while (it’s his son’s studio) and was greatly surprised when he said the arrangements were impressive, although I probably wasn’t convinced. Now I am very happy though, I can’t wait to hear what you think. If you pledged you will receive your advance download early February. And I have to ask you as a friend for a huge favour, please don’t burn any copies of it, or send it by email. Eventually the album will come out officially and it would be damaged considerably by this kind of activity. My plan is to make as much of a fuss as possible about nobody burning it when it’s released. Just think how different it would be by that gesture alone. So please help me to pull off this plan, just play it to people. Tickets are on sale now at Joe’s Pub (you can book HERE) book the baby sitter or husband, get your friends on the phone, I haven’t seen you for 9 months let’s have a party. I will have Fred Parcells on Trombone and Greeeat vocals with me for sure and Rob Thomas on Bass, Viola, Violin and Cello. Raimundo Penaforte on Violin, Mandolin, guitar and keys-of course I will be at the Grand Piano and on the carpet with my guitar, Borris, and Jasus what else do you want? All them new songs. I miss New York and I am really looking forward to seeing all you lovely little pretty things. We have lost loads of people from our mailing because of lost jobs and dead email addresses - please forward this mail, as people can sign up at THIS link. I love you more than “Withnail and I” Pierce xxxxxx Pierce Turner And a Verry Small Orchestra Joe’s Pub Saturday March 3rd at 7pm 425 Lafayette Street NYC Enquiries 212 539 8777 Tickets 212 967 7555 |
2/20/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
New York State of Mind
Did you know that Kurt Cobain would have been 45 today if he had lived? My friend
Lori Nasrallah has put together a new video for my cover of Lithium - you can see
it HERE.
Also, I'm back at Joe's Pub in Manhattan again on March 3rd - all the details
are HERE.
My friend Maura wants to know did we make it back to NY alive? Well yes I know that I’m alive because I’ve been in agony since I got here. The day before we left I woke up after an extra deep nights sleep (helped by a 4 am calmex tablet) to a tension around the bottom of my neck. Within an hour it had travelled upwards towards the bottom left side of my skull, and it felt like someone had stabbed me there with a screwdriver. I ignored it and got on with my packing expecting it to subside, a few hours later I took a couple of pain killers, some kind of EXTRA type of yoke that was as ominous in appearance as Hitler’s cyanide pill that he kept in the bunker. They had so little effect, I even forgot that I had taken them. That night we went to bed at 10 pm as we knew we would have to arise at 4 am to drive to the Dublin international Airport where flights are scheduled to suit Dubliners, it doesn’t dawn on em that some people live hours away. For this special early attempt at slumber we took an ambien each. It was at this point Clare decided to do a bit of tidying up. I lay there in bed awaiting the effect of this rarely appointed pleasure (a whole sleeping pill) but the light was on and Clare seemed to be taking forever to do whatever the hell she was at. My head was not too bad with the sleeping pill kicking in and finally Clare got in the bloody bed and we killed the light, it was now 10;45 and we were in a hurry to go asleep! I awakened before the alarm with the screwdriver gouging into my skull again. I crawled out of bed and thought it would be no harm to get up before 4 to make sure that I had everything packed an all. I put on the kettle and casually glanced at the clock as I clenched my agonizing knot-…phuck! What? 2 am! You can guess the rest…. My nephew Adrian very kindly took us to the airport, I made him stop along the way, the pain was so bad I was getting nauseous, all I could find were Rennies, spearmint flavor, they are for indigestion, I sucked on em anyway. Brain tumor was starting to cross my mind. I’m not going to tell you how, but we got bumped up to business class on the flight and it was brilliant, the seat had a snooze button on it, which meant that we could lie flat down and sleep, I slept a little and I was almost used to the pain by now - plus the luxury was a huge distraction. I decided that it might be wise to drink the free wine as it would thin my blood, just in case I had a clot in my brain. Our dear friends John and Andriette met us at the Airport and I didn’t bother telling them about the pain, it was so kind and welcoming of them. It really makes all the difference when you are returning from afar, or should I say home? Which one is it! We carried everything upstairs and were pleased that the house hadn’t been burned down, although the hallways had been painted purple and white making it look a bit like a female prison. I made a Bee line for the Korean Beauty Salon across the street where they also do shoulder massages for a dollar a minute. I asked the very sweet smiling young one for a ten-minute massage. She put my head into a paper towel and went at me so hard she nearly pushed me and the chair through the wall. I told her to go easy in THAT special skull spot - eventually though she did have to approach it. I really thought that I would faint the pain was so bad, I almost asked her to stop but was too embarrassed, besides we could have been at $7.50 or something odd. Eventually I went for another ten, because I thought this was the only way to find out if I had a tumor or not (or knot) I certainly can’t afford to go to the doctor! I screamed in agony and everyone had a right laugh, women picking nail varnish colours and others with their feet lavishing in tremoring foot baths. I decided that it was tension, that’s what my problem was. There were knots all over my blooming back, I said to her that it probably had spread to my neck. She didn’t speak English unfortunately, so she couldn’t elaborate. What am I tense about? Well I always worry myself crooked when I make an album, and right now I’m convinced that it’s all shite. Of course anyone who hears it thinks that I’m nuts, and I hope they are right, I would rather be nuts than make a bad album. And…. Also I’m worried that no one will come to Joe’s Pub on March 3rd, that gives the screwdriver another turn. I could call and see what the sales are like, but I’m scared that it will give me a knot on the other side as well. It must be so great to be Bruce Springsteen, and to be sold out every time you fart. On top of that I’ve forgotten how everything works in the apartment. I just had a bath (our bath tub is in the kitchen) and suddenly realized that I needed to shave while there, that’s why that mirror springs out from the wall. Stood up, grabbed my razor and began looking in the magnified side, (bad idea) felt a sting, I know that’s a bleeder on the right side of my mouth, carried on in regret, bang! Another sting on the left side this time. I get out of the bath and I look like Dracula! Blood pouring down either side of my mouth like long fangs. Oh for that thing my Father used to have for this, I think it was called a styptic stick? Do they still make them? We have now began mixing the album, Grammy nominee-engineer Roman Klun is the man. We are using a studio over on 13th St owned by Aaron the drummer from the Spin Doctors with platinum discs all over the place (that was when people expected to pay for music) and now it sounds great - so the knot is fading away. I rehearsed with the band for Joe’s Pub and it sounded so good that I have to usher Fred Parcells into the mixing session to put him on the track “Snow”. Have you booked for Joe’s yet? I am not worrying anymore. I don’t want to live in the Korean beauty Salon. Warm up your voice we will raise the rafters on March 3rd at 7pm sharp. I love you more than Belgium beer. Piercexxx Pierce Turner And a Verry Small Orchestra Joe’s Pub Saturday March 3rd at 7pm 425 Lafayette Street NYC Enquiries 212 539 8777 Tickets 212 967 7555 |
2/20/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Sticking a fork in the new album to see if it's done
It's Monday in New York, a sunny shiny day, heading over to to the studio now
to mix the 7th song for the album, we appear to be on schedule. Trying to create
a running order - not sure yet. I am really pleased about the way it's coming
together, just rushed as usual. Every night we seem to be seeing someone for dinner,
met Todd (Lily Allen's and James Blunt's manager) for dinner on Saturday,
he was in NY for a few days, some fancy place over in Chelsea right next to where
they made The Other Guys. New York is hopping - there are so many beautiful
women it's ridiculous. I am distracted.
The tickets for Joe's Pub are going well - expecting a gang from Brooklyn. Playing at sweet Jaimee's memorial on Thursday, it coincides with the Pledge downloads of my album. In my life triumph always seems to come with tragedy. My Mother died 3 months before my first solo album "It's Only a Long Way Across" there was something about Jaimee that reminded me of her, they both gave me lots of love without any fuss or expectancy. That album was for my Mother, this one is for Jaimee Young. I love all of you, thank you for your support. Pierce xxxx Pierce Turner And a Verry Small Orchestra Joe’s Pub Saturday March 3rd at 7pm 425 Lafayette Street NYC Enquiries 212 539 8777 Tickets 212 967 7555 |
3/2/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
I know what I'm doing ...
I'll be at JOE'S PUB - tomorrow Sat Mar 3rd @ 7 pm - after
drinks will be at Percy's Tavern 210 Avenue A and 13th St (a 5 min
ride in a taxi). I'll see you there.
Yesterday I walked home with a little silvery CD in a green paper cover tucked in my pocket. It contained all the finished mixes of the new album (as yet untitled). I look at its tinyness and wonder why it took so long. But I put it on this morning and it sounded huge, it was clear how much work so many people have put into this, all packed into a small silver thing waiting to be opened by your stereo. All I have to do now is solidify the running order of the songs, and then it will be sent to all the very kind people that Pledged towards it. The official CD will be released in the near future, again ask those friends that get the downloads - please, please don't mail it or burn it, that's the grand plan, please help me to hold this on place. This year is Philip Glass's 75th on the planet. And New York is on its knees to him, with major performances in his honour all over the place. On Wednesday John Rokosny videotaped Philip and I discussing the track "Yogi with a broken heart" on which he duetted with me playing keyboards (John also did a fly on the wall video of the session). We have since added strings, bass and percussion. After it was all over, Philip linked me as we walked up the Avenue in the slight rain - I felt so moved to have him as a friend. He told me that he was writing more now than he ever did- and that I have that to look forward to. What an encouraging prediction for age. Thank you Philip. Yesterday I also sang at my dear friend Jaimee's memorial. I'm not good at that type of thing - I nearly broke down into a shuddering, blubbering fool in the middle of it, held it together until the end though and then fell into a shuddering, blubbering fool. I have to say though the whole event was a huge release for our pent-up feeling of loss. Jaimee went out with such quiet dignity, but it was the loudest quietness I've ever known. Tomorrow Saturday the 3rd we take to the stage in Joe's Pub at 7PM sharp (extra half hour by starting early) and afterwards we will all meet for a drink at Percy's Tavern 210 Avenue A and 13th St ( a 5 min ride in a taxi). It's owned by a friend Larry Watson and we will be treated with respect, I look forward to seeing you. I love you more than Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. Pierce XXXXXX Pierce Turner And a Verry Small Orchestra Joe’s Pub Saturday March 3rd at 7pm 425 Lafayette Street NYC Enquiries 212 539 8777 Tickets 212 967 7555 |
4/29/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Down in the hole ...
Hello my sages, this was this week's adventure. Love Pierce xxxxxxx
The Verizon man in the hole at the end of the Avenue was very patient when we quizzed him on the expected time of completion for his repair. We had called Time Warner cable to complain that the entire house was suffering an outage for the umpteenth time this year. They said it was because of the Verizon man in the hole. But the oldish gentle, African American in the hole said that he was driven insane by people hassling him on this issue, as he came up the ladder to answer us for the 2nd time, he said "this is not even their hole!" "This is my hole!" Always be sure whose hole you're in! For those of you that supported the campaign on Pledge Music, my elves are working very hard and they hope to get your packages to you soon. Thanks very much for your kind words about the album. Here's a couple of treats from my show last month in Joe's Pub - Pierce Turner : Mayhem : Joe's Pub 2012 Pierce Turner : Moonbeam Josephine : At Joe's Pub 2012 |
5/10/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Follow me up and down to Carlow
We have a pet Robin now in New York. He comes to our window every morning
and creates a woe-full row if we haven't put his raisins in the elongated flower
pot. I like to have raisins with my porridge, and lately I have found
myself wanting when I go to the cupboard to prepare the tasty slop. Why? because
Clare may think that the Robin is more important than me - she swears, if she had
the time, that she could hand feed him and make him tame. I curse the smart
alec who told her that Robins like raisins, not nuts now! or raw porridge, just
raisins!
PieRce TuRneR and A veRRy small oRchestraHe has become our replacement for the Cat Albert, I imagine that Albert might eat Robin if it was in his windowsill, but Albert knows nothing of New York, he is from Wexford where no-one feeds the Robins, that I know of. I have come to be very fond of the little feathery fecker though, and I do speak to him when he arrives, just like the way I speak to Albert, in a half falsetto voice "hello little fella" "haylo bwoy" "o dit a goo liddle fella" he turns his head to one side and appears to be listening, then he yanks up a raisin like it's a worm, and flies away. That's the extent of our relationship, there is no reply, just like Albert (unless he's hungry) there is something about having someone to talk to, that can't reply. We all need one, have you got yours? I am starting to prepare the apartment for departure. It's time to go home for the Summer, and it's Albert's turn to not speak back (unless he's hungry). PieRce TuRneR and A veRRy small oRchestra will be playing at the Eigse festival in Carlow on Saturday June 16th. Carlow has always been a great town for me and it is a prized place of Culture in my mind, half of Tir na Nog comes from there after all. I am sure we can achieve the same impact at this wonderful Theatre that we did at the sold out Kilkenny Festival. We will have the full Band from the new forthcoming album and because of the great advance reaction to the album we are feeling extra confident about the new songs. We will have an acoustic Piano and superb sound and lights, so you have to get your bum down there, it's not always easy to get such a great set up. If you have pledged we are pressing the album right now (a special advance version) it wont be long, thank you for your patience. You will have it before Carlow, so that you can know em all. Have to pop out now for more raisins, me and my Robin are starving. I love you just as much as he and Albie. Pierce xxxx The Eigse Festival Carlow Sat June 16th Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre Sat June 30th More to come. |
5/28/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
I rest my case!
I am doing jury duty again!! They just won't leave me alone, and this time I'm
the foreman, it's a criminal case so I will have to deliver the verdict, yikes!!
This means I have to go against the very grain of what I would like to do, i.e not
be judgemental.
So I come home, put on the telly and there is Mitt Romney, and looking at him with my newly feathered judgement hat, I can say with absolute certainty, this man will not care about me! This is not someone who will give a damn if I am ever stuck on the road with a flat tyre, I can see him speeding by with his IRISH setter on the roof splashing me with rainwater, never thought of him before much until now, going into this courtroom and having to figure out who is lying and who is truthing and who has the wisdom, who is kind, who is ordinary and who is just trying their best. Everyone seems reasonable that works there, the cops, the Lawyers the Jury and the Judge. People there have manners and logic is suspended above the stubborn rule of law. I, of course , feel it's my duty to call for the law of unwritten flexibility. Tomorrow we do the scene from 12 angry men, after the summations we deliberate, I have a feeling it will be a battle. And I'll be looking to keep the poor bugger out of jail I suppose, we'll see. Every night I come home and rehearse at the Piano for my first gig in Carlow for a long long time, this will be THE VeRRy smaLL oRchestRa that played on the album, I can't always promise that line-up but it will be at Eigse in Carlow on June 16th. I hope you will be there. We will perform the album in its entirety and I hope to have advance copies for sale, this will the first time it has been done from beginning to end live, I am extremely proud of it, and it may be a slight challenge, but I believe it's worth it. I love you more than Mad Men! Pierce xxxxxx PieRce TuRneR and A veRRy small oRchestra |
6/23/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Are your fish jumpin'?
It was sweltering when I left New York, 100 degrees and 90% humidity, it was like
walking under water. One night we had the 2 ceiling fans on the go - one of
which is like propeller of a World War 2 bomber- and the air conditioner on
full belt. Down on the floor we had a Vornado fan cranked up so high that
it sounded like were in the engine room of a large ship! And still we were boiling,
lying there stark naked covered by nought but a cotton sheet. It reminded
me of when Clare first stayed with me in N.Y. It was also in the middle of
a heatwave, I woke up in the middle of the night to find her with her head in the
refrigerator. I didn't even have a fan at the time, never mind air conditioner.
I think she might have known what lay ahead when she saw me taking the sheets
out of the fridge where I used to put them before going out.
So I am glad to be here in Ireland where we are having a gorgeous Winter! I presume by now most of you that pledged have received your CD's and various other stuff, I will laminate some passes for those of you who pledged for that. If you have requested that and are planning on attending a gig please let me know and I will sort you out. The album is in its first phase which means just in the hands of pledgers, those who attend the gigs and you. We sold a heap of them at Carlow last Saturday and it will be available at Tinahely Courthouse in Wicklow next Saturday June 30th and at Whelans......on July 21st....at Greenacres Wexford July 27th. The VeRRy Small ORchestra is rolling and the Baroque Pop is catching, people might even turn up in period clothing and we can all do a minuet. Phase one sales will be a limited edition and the takings will go towards phase 2 which will go out to the Press,Radio and T.V. If you would like to order a phase one CD with Mario Quintana's beautiful cover, you can send a cheque or Money order for 20 euro plus 2 euro for postage here and we will mail it to you. send it to 12 Davitt Road South Wexford Ireland or If you have a paypal account send it to piercenewyork@aol.com I am really happy with the recording and it wasn't easy, I nearly drove anyone who worked on it demented! Getting great response, my brother-in law said "if this don't do well boy you may as well feckin give up!" So now let the games begin, anyone who can help to spread the fire, please do, the world is our oyster. Because there is no big honcho taking from the profits and because this is a co-operative between you and me, if we could sell just 5 thousand albums we would be winning big time. Live shows are essential to this though, and I am also planning to to hit small local pubs with one of you, my friends hosting it, County by County, here in Ireland right now and the U.K. All places are possible, just contact me and we can have a chat. Of course we will do a national publicity campaign to back it. So lads think about it, host a gig at your local, it won't cost you! we will keep the expenses down and people will pay to get in. I have to go lie down now, I'm exhausted just talking about it. I love you more than a glass of chilled Rosé Pierce xxxxxxxxxxx Summer Gigs in Ireland Sat June 30th Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow Sat July 21st Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin - phone for tickets - 1890 200 078 Fri July 27th Greenacres, Selskar, Wexford - Tickets available from Whites for Music (30 South Main Street, 053 91 22067) and Greenacres (053 9122975) and many more to come ??? PieRce TuRneR and A veRRy small oRchestra |
6/28/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
Rain and fog will cling to the Wicklow hills this weekend
It appears that I am far more popular with the farming community than I knew to
be! I have a gig this coming Saturday above in the Wicklow Hills at a lovely
venue called the Tinahely Courthouse. But there is some concern about the
attendance. Apparently my main competitor is "the silage and dah!" normally
they don't have gigs there in the Summer because of this very smelly enemy's
superior level of priority. Some of you will wonder what silage is? well you
might google it and save me a lot of bother, but as far as I know it's pigshit!
they splatter it all over the fields and the vegetables grow like mad and have a
wonderful bouquet! Being in its vicinity is like sticking your head up a pigs bum!
But the farmers have to splatter it when the sun is threatening to shine.
And the weather forecaster did say on the national radio yesterday "the
rain and fog will cling to the hillsides this weekend" so maybe I will give
my smelly friend a good licking (oooch) If you want to come to Tinahely Courthouse
and prove that I am more popular than pigshit, you can book in advance here with
us at claregturnerATgmail.com or call the place itself.
I bet Leonard Cohen doesn't have this problem!
"SoNgs foR a veRRy smAll oRchestra" will start going in to select Irish record shops next week, I will let you know which ones have it as it goes along. White's for music in Wexford and Enniscorthy will have it this weekend, naturally Wexford is first. Book here also for Whelans on July 21st with the V.S.O. and Wexford Greenacres July 27th. Pierce xxxxxxxxxxx Summer Gigs in Ireland Sat June 30th Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow Sat July 21st Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin - phone 1890 200 078 Fri July 27th Greenacres, Selskar, Wexford - Tickets available from Whites for Music (30 South Main Street, 053 91 22067) and Greenacres (053 9122975) and many more to come ??? |
7/15/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above
America is frying and Ireland is drowning. The Bishop of Wexford has asked
us to pray for it to stop raining. Just after he said it the rain was coming
down so hard - on the M11 Motorway on the way down from Dublin - I almost had to
pull over! The wipers were flying, but the rain was boss. It’s shocking
to be in Ireland, the land of annoying-but-never-unmanageable weather, and get a
hint of what it feels like when our machines are dwarfed by nature. This was
nothing like a tsunami, but I got a small taste of that feeling of running out of
ideas and just hoping for the best. And I didn’t like it at all!
So here we are in the middle of a recession and non-stop rain and people are saying to me “what about that song of yours, Mondays Rain? Could you be looking a gift horse in the mouth? If someone offered me a horse now, I would have to look in his mouth, how amm I gonna feed the fucker, and where will I keep him? Well it’s an interesting point! Maybe I should rush it out! That just might stop it raining, and the Bishop would thank God, while I’d be thinking about that horse! Only now I might be flogging a dead one. Is it trite for me to expect people to come to my gigs in the middle of all o this? Or to buy an album that has nearly put me in the poor house? It might be, but I’m still gonna do it because I believe we have something to give you. It’s what I was put here for, and when the pints are poured and the lights come down, and after Mario Quintana’s animated film of the album cover dances across the DVD projector we will perform our hearts out like as if the country might sink beneath the rain tomorrow. Nothing will come between us if you are present, and I think Whelan’s is on a hill, so it probably won’t float away, and by the way, it has a roof! Come and see us, in Whelans in Dublin on July 21st and Greenacres in Wexford on July 27th. I love you more than thick cut marmalade. Pierce xxxxxxxxxxx Summer Gigs in Ireland Sat July 21st Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin - phone 1890 200 078 Fri July 27th Greenacres, Selskar, Wexford - Tickets available from Whites for Music (30 South Main Street, 053 91 22067) and Greenacres (053 9122975) |
8/13/2012
Pierce's Newsletter |
I've got the seats - will you bring the bums?
Hear ye hear ye all of you, from the planet of bums on seats. All of you with
a bum, or without, for we can’t be prejudice towards the bumless. I
am taking my own bum and all beneath it and above it, to a rake of small and intimate
public houses to the south and north of my present predicament. All of this
to forewarn and forearm all who come in contact about the forthcoming album “Songs
for a Verry Small Orchestra”. Some places are so small that you may
have to sit on my lap! But that’s fair enough, I have said that your bum will
have a seat! These will be Pierce Turner IS a Verry Small Orchestra gigs,
and sometimes my compatriot musicians will pop in and out depending on the price
of petrol. I am still in Ireland so if you’re in New York that might
be a problem. But I will get to you as soon as the plane is mended. So
bring your bum and we’ll bring the seats, oh and the songs. You can even download
your very own tour poster HERE.
Are you one of those people that watches everything on the special extras menu when you get a DVD? Well, you're in luck! I decided not to make a DVD, and just concentrate on the extras - here's Philip Glass and myself talking about Yogi with a Broken Heart from the new album (which, as you know, is available HERE): I love every single one of you-even the bumless. Pierce xxxxx The Bums on Seats Tour DUNCORMICK, Co. Wexford - SINNOTTS BAR - T HURS AUG 16TH 9PM - PHONE: 051-563-121 GOREY, Co. Wexford - KATIE DALY’S - 78 MAIN STREET - SAT AUG 25TH 9PM - PHONE: 053-948-3920 WEXFORD - THE SKY AND THE GROUND - SOUTH MAIN STREET - THURS AUG 30TH 8.30PM - PHONE: 053-9121273 GREYSTONES, Co. Wicklow - HOT SPOT COFFEE HOUSE - UNIT 5 WATSON & JOHNSON CENTRE, MILL ROAD - SAT SEP 15TH - PHONE: 01-201 6888 |
This is very short note from me.
I was born a long time ago and I remember nothing of the experience at all. You would think one would remember such a life altering experience, but no! Not a bit of it. There were other people there of course, and they remember it well. Much more well - than the other babies they cradled, because I was 14lbs in weight! Apparently the maternity nurse that dragged me out head first was so astonished at the sight of me that she ran a little competition, taking me around the hospital fully dressed in a suit of clothes, she asked the other expectant mothers to guess what age I was! I remember nothing of that either, and do not know who won the competition.
But yesterday! I remember it well and it was on that day that I confirmed the launch venue, date and time for my new album “Songs For A Verry Small Orchestra” And I have a favour to ask of you if you live in Ireland- and it matters not what weight you were when you were born- because this is a REALLY important event, the most important one for many years in the career of this 14 lb baby – I know you love your house and your children and grandchildren and/or dog and cat and this and that and the other thing-so just think of this as a christening! A thing that you have to go to! I don’t have too many babies, so it will be a while before the next album. So please get out the calendar and put me in there before you are invited to a Tupperware party! It will give the album a great send off if we pack the place! All the media will be invited and we will have all the people who played on the album performing (except Philip Glass of course –he’s not here) We will have the art work and animation (stunning!) of the Dublin Institute of Technology Students projected on a screen behind us as we perform the entire album and more of course. Plus this Sunday Sept 9th there will be a major article in the Sunday Times Culture Magazine by Liam Fay about the album, which he loves I’m pleased to say. Lots more media attention coming.
All this will happen at the very reasonable hour of 8 O’Clock on Thursday
October 11th 2012 at The Grand Social just next to the Hapenny
Bridge in Dublin. Thursday is best for the press-once they go home on Friday
or Saturday-they won’t come back! So Thursday is best and 8 pm means
going there after work with ease.
You can book with us here if you like my dear little things, please spread the word
and book busses and things, I need you, honest I do!
Love you too.
Pierce xxxx
I hounded that woman at the Hot Spot coffee shop in Greystones for a gig, not that it’s some kind of hot spot on the itinerary for touring bands, but she seemed unsure of who I was (under the 30 age limit I imagine). So I worked extra hard to get across to her that I really was moderately well known! I wanted to do a tour of unconventional places around the periphery of Dublin City, just like the Tour of Manhattan that I did once and the recent tour of Wexford. The thing about this kind of thing is that quite often the people who own these places function in a different world of commerce. The world of who drinks the most coffee or who drinks the most beer etc, not what kind of music do they like.
So she said “can ye draw a crowd?” “Ah yeah I’d say so”
said I with removed bravado, meaning it was far away still and the further a gig
is away, the more it seems full in my appraisal. But now that it’s
near - this Saturday in fact! - my bravado has subsided and fear has taken hold
in its place, a common occurrence in my life since my audience started drinking
wine at home and watching the telly. Of course I could call and ask how the
tickets are going. But I’m afraid to know! Do me a favour and
call for me will ye?
You’d be doing two things for me - (1) adding to the enquiries - btw
would appreciate it if you would say something like “I can’t believe
he’s playing here!!!!” and (2) - I’ve forgotten what 2 is?
If you don’t do this for me, I will have to sneak up there on Saturday and hope for the best. If she tells me off for exaggerating my popularity I will be mortified. But wait a second - Clare says “you always do this, and the gigs have been great!” I suppose so; just the same I might walk in backwards at first. Or you could be there and make it wonderful!
I feel better now.
I Love you more than Vindaloo.
Pierce xxxxx
PS - Don’t forget the launch on Oct 11th at The Grand Social and
launch in the UK @
The Slaughtered
Lamb
in London on Thurs Nov 15th
Where was I? Ah yes, I have a pimple behind my left ear. It’s really throbbing and sore. Remember when people used to keep cigarettes behind their ears? And pencils? I just tried it and the pencil didn’t stay there at all! And I don’t have small ears or anything, how did they do it? I had a manager once who carried a rolled joint behind his ear all day long, he never smoked it, I thought he was pretentious prat and we didn’t get along at all. But he could sustain the grip on that joint with his ear without any problem at all, and he had the small curled down type. It’s a peculiar notion when you think about it. I have this thing that I want to keep handy, so let me see, where will I put it? If I put it in my pocket then I will have to remember which one. If it’s a cigarette it will fall to pieces also. I can’t put it under my arm, or in my hair -although some Women can- the last place left other than my nostril, is my ear! It’s a handy little shelf that just happens to be all mine, and …on the side of my head all the time! And as if that’s not enough, it’s extra sensory, I can actually feel anything that rests upon it. There won’t be too many things there either! It’s not like I will have to search around, or rummage through the clutter, no there is no room for anything else at all. I’m beginning to see the point now, mind you my shelf would not be usable at this moment the space is taken by a bloody sore pimple.
You can now download the lyrics for Songs for a Verry Small Orchestra from the website. People are asking if the launch on October 11th is a real gig. Yes it absolutely is, we have the full band and we will a full show - no messing. No matter where you are on the planet you can listen to internet Radio and Irish National Radio (RTE) is starting to play the album quite a bit. A brilliant, superb Radio show is Dave Fanning on 2FM (RTE) from 7 to 10 pm Monday Through Thursday, he has played “Yogi with a Broken Heart” every night. It’s really exciting, as he is such a great DJ (Ireland’s John Peel) and the music he plays is really hip - you can tune in here and text or tweet or email a request if you like.
This Friday the Irish Times will have an article and review in The Ticket. Also
the Examiner are doing the same,and Hot Press are doing a big piece, they will also
attend the launch to write about it. And this week we release an edited Radio
single of “Mondays Rain” Please, if you hear it on the Radio, try and
send them a reaction, this really counts.
Off to bed now, sleep on the right side, pimple on the left.
I love you more than the day it will be gone.
Pierce xxxxxx
Oct 11th: The Grand Social,
Dublin
Oct 19th: Cleeres Theatre, Kilkenny
Oct 26th: Greenacres, Wexford
Nov 15th: The Slaughtered Lamb, London
I write this in the middle of the night, well at twenty five past five; is that the middle of the night? It’s become less and less clear when the night begins to end! Some people get up at four and call it the morning! So for them I presume the middle of the night is two! But sometimes I don’t even get to bed until three! Of course I know that I’m not normal because I’m a musician and get to bed late. But people who get up ridiculously early tend to think that they are normal! And the laws of the land tend to favour that approach too. It’s perfectly ok to ram a pneumatic drill into the pavement outside my home at seven in the morning and shudder the very teeth out of my head. So is that the morning? If so who are these lunatics that expect people to get up at four?
Last month my Sister and her family went on vacation to the Canary Islands and the plane left Dublin at 7 AM. Dublin is three hours from anywhere that’s not Dublin in this country. So because we are chopped liver she had to leave here at two in order to check in a couple of hours ahead. She is a go to bed at 11; 30 PM type. The middle of the night for her is somewhere between three and five. To leave at two, she had to get up at 12; 30 am! What kind of time is that then? Early morning? Or late night? When I pointed out that this was ludicrous to my Sister, she replied “sure, we’ll have the whole day there then” But you’ll have to go to bed when you get there ‘cos you’ll be so shagged, and when you wake up it will be night again and then the middle of your night will have been during the day! They are stealing your night! What is it with this travelling so bloody early in the morning? Maybe it’s all because of this 24 hr. clock business-24/7 and all that shite. We’ll I’m dropping a sleeping pill and I will arise at the civilized hour of 10 or eleven AM. And that means At Morning. Good night my sweet things.
BTW the album is doing very well, we are up to five - 4**** star reviews now from the national Irish press. England is next and then …The Super Bowl!! The review in the current Hot Press is excellent and I’m doing an interview with them this week for the next issue. The Wexford Festival Fringe is this coming Friday Oct 26th at the beautiful Greenacres Gallery with the grand Piano and the VeRRy Small OrchesTRA. Come down! The Town will be hopping with Fur coats and exotic cigars-Verdi will be rising from the bars and leaking up the alleyways. This album seems particularly made to fit, the New York Times did forecast this after Carnegie Hall: “An Opera tinged performance with hints of Joni Mitchell and David Bowie”
Tickets available at Ticketmaster and at Whites for Music on the Main St or the
Venue. You can book with us too claregturner at gmail.com
The Wexford Festival Fringe
Pierce Turner and a VeRRy SmaLL ORchestRA
Greenacres Art Gallery -Selskar -Wexford Town
Friday Oct 26th at 8;30 pm
It’s half four in the afternoon and getting dark. At half eight this morning it was dark too. My head is wrecked, I don’t know whether I’m coming or going? The Cat is confused too. I was up at 6 this morning by mistake and he wanted to get out, but it was dark and he does run across the street! He wears a camouflage coat, ye can’t see him at all. I said to him “No, yer not getting out and that’s all there is to it!” he kept rubbing up against me, I ignored him and tried to find some news about Florida, did they finish counting yet? Next minute he bites my big toe! Only a little bite, but he gets my attention. Ye see in the Summer at this time you can let him out because it’s daylight here, but not now, especially since they changed the clock. But he has no need for clocks and does not carry a timepiece of his own. So he thinks that I need a bite to remind me that it’s way after six o’clock! Normal ‘can go out time’-even with, his camouflage coat “look, go to the toilet in the bathroom like everyone else!” He starts scratching the end of the sofa “stop! Yer not getting out yet, it’s dark and you’ll be killed” he starts pulling on the door, trying to squeeze his paw into the tiny crack in the door (it’s an old house) I pick him up and put him in his litter tray “there, this is what this is for” he looks at me like I am a child killer and follows me out, rushing off ahead of me suggesting that I should follow him to the door a let him out “You, are not getting out and that’s all there is to it!” Clare says that she sometimes can hear me talking to him like he’s a human being, in the middle of the night. I remember that, and take heed of what I am doing, madness might be setting in! I put him in his bed and he starts kneading it like it’s his Mother's breast. He decides to resign, I switch off the light and go back to bed in the dark. Ni-night John boy.
But all of that is neither here nor there - I have some gigs coming up in England and then back in Ireland. Will you come? No cats allowed!
London: Thursday, Nov 15th, The Slaughtered Lamb, 34-35 Great Sutton St, Clerkenwell EC1 Tel: 0207 253 1516.
Tickets here
Liverpool: Friday, Nov 23rd The Lantern Theatre, 57 Blundell Street, Liverpool
L1 0AJ Tel: 0151 703 0000. Tickets here
Cork: Thursday, Dec 6th, Coughlans Live, 7 Douglas St, Cork. Tel: 021 4961751. Tickets
here
Wexford: Saturday, Dec 22nd, Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket, Wexford. Tel: 053 9123764 Tickets
here
Krismis? What again! Cork Dec 6th, Wexford Dec 22nd, Dublin Dec 27th and then back to New York to my NY Family.
When I was a teenager I played in a band called the Arrows and we performed 5 to 6 nights a week including the day before Christmas and the day after! Of course I didn’t drink then (that has changed a little bit, (sic )) and I was a teenager (that has changed a little bit too) (sic) but it went on for many years and I had to give up on the idea of partying like a Person for Christmas, it was work time. But I put my mind to it and bared down upon it with total devotion until I got what everyone else took for granted - no gigs after Dec 23rd or so, for at least a week. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? I personally used to feel a kind of homesickness even when I was sitting with my family. It seems to create unachievable expectations.
So variety is the spice and I’ve decided to play again because I’d sooner be with you! And Christmas Parties have ripped the shite out of December gigs - so I play where no Christmas party dare go! Dec 27th!! to a room full of fat bellys and jolly hearts in Dublin at the Grand Social. Dec 6th in Cork will be the first time in donkeys years that I’ve been in that Favoured French city (well the Huguenots - French Protestants - ran there in the 17th Century - plenty of big noses and curly hair) That’s before the parties ! - the 6th in Cork that is - And Dec 22nd my annual celebration in Wexford at the (Cornmarket) Wexford Art Centre will be after the Office parties! I will dust off sing alongs songs about Santa Clauses and young chaps playing drums rump a pum Pum!
Also! (And it’s a big also) “Songs For a veRRy Small ORchesTRA” has been short listed for a major prize - I cannot say yet-but the announcement will be made on Jan 9th’ This is your album too dear pledgers thank you so much.
I love you more than mince pies
Pierce xxxx
Cork: Thursday, Dec 6th, Coughlans Live, 7 Douglas St, Cork.
Tel: 021 4961751. Tickets here
Wexford: Saturday, Dec 22nd, Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket, Wexford.
Tel: 053 9123764
.
Tickets here
Dublin: Thursday, Dec 27th, The Grand Social, 35 Lr Liffey
Street Dublin Tel. 01 874 0076 Tickets here or through a direct reservation from us
Don’t forget my Christmas song “all we want for Christmas is to be famous,
a funny poke at the X Factor Generation” is available on the website and “Songs For a veRRy Small ORchesTRA”
is now available as a download on itunes (click on the link up the top there) and
on Spotify too. It will be in the UK shops Feb 2013
I wake up in the morning to the sound of our Sony cube radio (now an antique, I'm told), roll out of bed and put the kettle on. I can hear the cat’s bell as he runs around the house wanting two things as quick as possible, to be fed and to be let out. I need to wee too! I decide to put the kettle on first, which means watching the water going in while I’m holding my own. The cat follows me into the toilet and is whining about the delay, I put some food down, he barely touches it and runs for the door, I want him to bugger off, so I run to the door and let him out. Throw 4 tea bags into the pot and sting them with red hot water. Pull the black out curtain up in the bedroom and look at Clare sunk deep into the pillow looking about 2 years of age.
We sit up drinking the tea and slowly start to speak. She loved the new Batman film, I hated it - why? “mindless rubbish” “not at all, it was really well done” “ it was so bloody long and noisy” The mail comes through the door with a kerfuffle, I go get it. It’s a check from the RAAP, neither one of us is sure what arm of the music business this is, but it doesn’t matter that much it’s only 240.72 euro. We look at the statement, it seems that most of it comes from America?
The new Hot Press year book is on the side table-we just got it yesterday. I have been anointed “Maverick of the Year” there is a very impressive 2 page interview in there, we read it , it seems like I’m moaning a lot in there. I’m a bit surprised as it’s not the way I felt. We talk about The Gathering next year and how people responded to it being on Facebook - someone wants to know how to get tickets. If we are going back to America in February we have to confirm that gig at Joe’s pub! And here we go again, talking about me and my career! I have been trying to watch this because I’m aware that it’s a little unfair for Clare. So I say to her “ That’s enough of us talking about me, what do YOU think about ME?” She replies “ will you fuck off!”
Happy Christmas my lovelies and if you’re far away will you come here in May? And if you're near, will you come to Dublin on December 27th?
I love you more than Christmas pudding. Pierce xxxxx
Dublin: Thursday, Dec 27th, The Grand Social, 35 Lr Liffey
Street Dublin Tel. 01 874 0076 Tickets here or through a direct reservation from us
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
Will you come to my hometown - the historical Town of Wexford - where I was born and bred - a major influence on many of my songs - meet my friends and family? - we will have 3 nights of music- (Fri May 10) "Manana in Manhattan Live in Wexford" with the String Quartet Doing a musical trip from the start up to now! (Sat May 11th) A forum with the Irish National Press, discussing "The peculiar trajectory of a rural Irish Baroque-Rock musician to America and back, and is it harder to succeed if you're from a small Irish Town?" An evening meal and a guided tour of this historical Town, pointing out Pierce places of influence and habitation - and walk the lanes that King Henry the 2nd did to Selskar Abbey to penance for his murder of Thomas a Becket( Sun May 12th) A sung Morning Mass with PT on the altar with a choir performing his sacred compositions-derived from influences of early Church music in the beautiful Church where he was baptised and initially travelled through all of his rites of passage. Sunday Afternoon trip to the Hook Head Peninsula (by Hook or by Crook) near where the Normans landed-and Sunday Night a sing-song Parlour Performance with Pierce in the Bar called after his song "The Sky and The Ground" all part of The Gathering Ireland. It will be a love-in for you and me, my family of friends. We have never done anything like this before, just think of the many great people in one place-it will be like a Daniel O'Donnell tea party - come and have a cup of tea pet.
How's the weather where you are? Are you buried deep beneath the snow? You might be interested in my new iPad app that tells the story of how my song "Snow" from the new album came about. You can get it in the app store HERE.
In Wexford we don’t say “I’m not kidding you”, we say “I’m not codding you”. Why? I don’t know! We do have a fishing industry and fishing boats along the quay, and of course cod is popular with chips! Maybe cod was considered to be a sub-standard fish once? A poor man's salmon or something? So by suggesting codding, you are proposing a hoax? I don’t know, but I am not codding when I say that this is the place I was born and raised - and whatever it is that I am, I would not be, but for this ancient seaside town filled with the swagger and cynicism of sailors and their thirsty tales. And on May 10, 11th and 12th I am inviting everyone to come here for a weekend for a celebration of my music as part of the Gathering Ireland. But I also live in New York and before that I am going there.
I’m not codding when I say I’m coming back to New York (at last) to Joe’s Pub on Saturday March 2nd at 7 p.m. and I’m a bit excited to see my NY friends after all this time - please pass the word, ‘cos I don’t want anyone missing. Afterwards, we will all go to Larry Watson’s bar “Percy’s” on Ave A - East corner of 12th Street.
Tell everybody I’ve been away for 10 months. I’m coming back now,
what songs you wants?
I love you as much as New York xx
Pierce
Joe’s Pub Lafayette Street Manhattan, Sat March 2nd at 7 p.m.
Tickets HERE. The Joe's Pub website allows you to mail
the info for the gig on to someone else - would really appreciate you spreading
the word through that.
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
I didn’t leave my apartment today at all. I woke up at 4 a.m. with jet-lag and read my Bruce Springsteen biog - I find it a bit depressing to see how much tougher he is than me, and disciplined, but I still find it irresistible. Still, I wouldn’t have fired Mike Appel or the band, nor would I have threatened them for doing drugs -but how can you argue when the results are so great?
Went for a run yesterday and it was so bloody cold the wind chased me back ten minutes after I left with a big red face. It’s a little bit scuzzier here in Manhattan - something dirtier about it. Darker and dingier, more 70’s in appearance. Like a murky film from that time, all shadows and scaffolding, and when scaffolds go up anywhere, they never seem to come down.
I went over to Joe’s Pub to put a poster up, the place had been renovated. I couldn’t find the place where they normally go and told him that it seemed like a closed glass case. The man at the door said “over there under the stairwell”. I went there and found the same closed glass case again, he came over and said "oh you’re right, leave it with me and I’ll look after it". So I did and sauntered out of there waving goodbye to him with a pair of glasses in my hand. Wait a second who owns these glasses? I walk back and say “are these yours” Astonished he replied yes, and I handed them back, none the wiser about how I came to have them.
The one and only, bar none, Fred Parcells - trombone player extraordinaire and vocalist and ex-partner that travelled the world with me, came to my apartment to rehearse. We started with “Snow” and his tone was so sweet and beautiful. I have known Fred since 1985 and I am so lucky to know such a great talent and a great friend. We dug deep (although I nearly fell asleep from jet-lag ) and we will dig deeper in Joe’s Pub on March 2nd. I want all of my NY sausages there, please pass the word. Percy's Lounge afterwards 12th and Ave A for a post show pint.
Finally who is coming to Wexford on May 10th for the all encompassing story of my life? From the string quartet on May 10th to a forum with national Press, and a pub crawl of this ancient town with its history, to a mass on Sunday the 12th with church organ , choir, soprano, and myself up on the altar playing keys, I have ripped my hair out to compose this! And then a finale Parlour gig (fielding all requests) at the Sky And the Ground Pub named after that black and white song. This is a once in a lifetime event and I want all of my dear friends and supporters to be there, from all the many journeys we have travelled, it will be magic, THE TOWN WILL BE OURS - ARE YOU COMING? It may never happen again.
I love you more when you are broke.
Pierce xxxxx
PS: Here's me on RTE in Ireland last week, talking about my "Snow" iPad app, which was put together by the nice people at Vermillion and is available HERE. (It's OK, you can skip the first 83 minutes - start at 1:23:20).
PPS: Here's a review of my recent gig in Cork.
Joe’s Pub Lafayette Street Manhattan, Sat March 2nd at 7 p.m. Tickets HERE.
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
Here in New York the wind blows up the Avenue with a winter western chill filled with imaginary tumbleweed. The traffic rattles its way up First Avenue. No matter how diligent the City is with potholes, they never seem to be done. Every second block will have a massive multi-ton plate of steel covering a hole in progress. And that's what causes the rattle it seems. A hundred cars screech to a halt at the red light by the Italian Pastry shop and rev their engines impatiently as they await the starters gun. The light goes green and they scream their tyres in forward drive......be-dum...be-dum..Be-Dum...goes each one by the Spanish Bodega where the steel plate resides today - and it becomes the music of the Avenue - the City's drummer! And in this neighbourhood, you can always hear drums.
Many of you now know about the Gathering Weekend in Wexford On May 10,11,12. At my gig in NY the other night I heard whisperings of people intending to attend. Could you please do me a favour? could you click HERE and say that you're attending? Even if you're not coming, we can hope for better promotion from the Gathering if they can see a greater level of interest in the event. Thanks so much.
Sunday week is March 17th but I will not be out there, where even familiar Pubs become Tubs of slither - no not me. And then the day before, March 16th, is the day of the Parade, which means that's really THE DAY! I will be away with the fairies in some secluded meadow snorting the gentle aroma of wild shrubbery, however the day before that - Friday, March 15th - is a chance for us all to get together under the pressure of pleasure and togetherness. I will perform in the intimacy of Percy's Lounge on Ave A and 13th St at 8pm - Piano at hand and good drink - with songs of ancient Irish reverie pulled out of the back end of memory. Twill be our celebration close enough to the time, but far away enough to keep it ours. CU there!
I love you more than green Guinness.
Pierce xxx
Pierce Turner celebrates his homeland, Friday March 15th at 8 p.m.: Percy's Tavern, 210 Avenue A New York, NY 10009. Phone: (212) 473-7770
Pierce Turner returns to Riverdale, Saturday April 13th at 8 p.m.: An Béal Bocht Café, 445 W238th street (@ Graystone Ave.), Bronx, NY 10463. Phone: (718) 884-7127
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
Last night I lay on the bed thinking in the dark. The house was quiet; all the apartments had gone to sleep. I ran across my life with a fine toothcomb and came to no conclusions that were conclusive. I turned to my right side and tried to drift away, but my mind was up and running now and had a lot more berating, regrets and missed opportunities to parade before me. I turned back to my back and started to count from 300 in reverse. By 296 I remembered some stupid thing that I said in jest to someone, and thought, “Why can’t I just keep my big mouth shut!” and off I went again… about ten minutes later after being dragged through the coals in a remarkably complex litany of personal fuck-ups, I realised that I had stopped counting and went back to 300 again.
Then just as I was starting to drift off I heard this haunting sound echoing through the empty back streets “ what is that, it sounds like it’s under water” it happens again two minutes later…it sounds like a crying Whale..I once had an album of Whale sounds-it was given to me by a choreographer who had commissioned me to write music for dance piece based on Whales-she said “I want 20 minutes of music in ¾ time” So I wrote it and it nearly drove me batty-20 mins of waltz time??? But she paid me well and that was it, she was the boss. I went to see the performance sometime later, six dancers dressed in steel blue unitards (Whales) struggling to stay on their feet for 20 minutes of laborious clichés, to music that sounded every bit as boring as I was when writing it. I wanted to crawl out under the seat scaffolding and run, but during the applause the choreographer gestured to me, I was supposed to stand up at this point, but I couldn’t….I squirmed in the bed once more, and realised that I had stopped counting once again, back to 300.
To be continued…
Speaking of counting, starting soon we are doing a countdown to the Big Pierce Turner Weekend in Wexford on May 10, 11,12. I hope you can come. It’s a big SHOO
Last NY gig coming up who wants to come…. I love you more than the Dolphins. Pierce xxx
Next Saturday April 13th I head to Riverdale to perform in a Gay Porn Bar called "an beal bocht" No just kidding - it comes up in error as a gay bar though! -And my google alert tells me that there are only a couple of Pierce Turners out there, and one is a gay porn star!-there is also a white supremacist nut and an American football manager, he has the most activity-but the gay porn star is doing well! next Saturday at the Beal Bocht should be interesting-my last gig before I return Ireland for the big Wexford Weekend on May 10th....if you live in the Bronx-don't say I never came your way
Pierce Turner returns to Riverdale, Saturday April 13th at 8 p.m.: An Béal Bocht Café, 445 W238th street (@ Graystone Ave.), Bronx, NY 10463. Phone: (718) 884-7127
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
Continuing from last week…. 300, 209,208, to whom am I speaking? To myself of course, said I to me, as I lay there getting hotter and hotter. The bed was now embedded with the shape of my hot sweaty sleepless frame. I read somewhere that if you can’t sleep and you’ve been lying there for ages, you should get out of the bed and sit somewhere else for a while, when you return the bed will be fresh and cool, cool is apparently the key. Well this is not cool now, that’s for sure, I just scratched my toes and now my nose is itchy, oh shit I’ve lost count again, my t-shirt is drenched in sweat. Wow! There’s that haunting sound again - it’s unbelievably authentic, but it can’t be, it sounds like a singing whale under water, I’m on First Avenue in Greenwich Village, it can’t be a Whale down on Avenue A. It’s strangely comforting I must say, I do find the sea comforting….”
I went out with a girl once that looked like Kate Winslet (kinda). I had met her at an Irish wedding in the Bronx that Larry Kirwan and I were booked to play at. The groom was a big fan of ours and booked us regardless of the fact that we were the most wrong wedding band in the Universe. We were sitting at our instruments as the guests began to arrive and I was extremely uncomfortable and paranoid. I knew that we were totally unsuitable for the occasion in our Sunday jeans with a couple of rips here and there, and beards with scraggly hair, not to mention our repertoire. I imagined people were saying things about us, “oh no, not those two feckin eejits” I was tuning my Piano when a man came over pointing to me and said “is that a he or a she?” I lividly looked up at him seethed “would you like me to drop my trousers and show you?” He was horrified and recoiled in disgust, Larry leaned over to me and said “what did you think he said?” I said “you heard him! He asked me was that a he or a she?” Oh no said Larry, I think he said is that an E or a G?...... All through the wedding I tried in vain to catch his eye as he danced past confiding in his partner and pointing his head my way with a derogatory nod.
I squirmed in the bed once more, oh God please let me off the hook…. Back to 300………………………………………..to be continued
Countdown to the big Homecoming Hug Weekend In Wexford
3 weeks to go.
Apparently we gave you the wrong address for tickets last time here are the details again
boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie
353-53-912-3764
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
It's nearly upon us! If you click on the graphic up there, it'll take you to all the details of the events!
The other day, I got out of bed and fumbled my way from the bedroom to the sitting room in the dark, fanning the space and feeling with my left hand for objects that might stub or scrape, confident enough that I could manage. I shut the sitting room door to contain the light, grabbed my reading glasses from the piano where I keep them, and lay on the futon for my now familiar 4 AM middle of the night reading sojourn. I open “The Sheltering Sky” by Paul Bowles and night dream my way through the first two paragraphs. Forrest Gump pops into the mind, what an amazing movie! Just watched it on tellee, boy that running thing…. There’s always that, ye know, just get out on the road and run, meet all kinds of new people, no more weight problems, or fitness regimens, or goals… off the map completely, I could almost do it. I look at the page and the writing is semi-blurred, the main character, Port, has gone back out in to dark desert night to find a blind woman that he has fantasies about, I am tired already This is beautiful writing but hard to read when you’re tired. I hang in there because I can see that I’m coming to the end of a chapter. I read the last two lines, and they grab my attention. I shake myself and read them again, it seems like I have found the words to perfectly describe my gnaw….
I read them again "They both had made the fatal error of coming to hazily regard time as non-existent. One year was like another year. Eventually everything would happen” That is my case, I never plan my future, and I don’t like it to be done for me either. I never liked talking about age “surging on full speed to our tombstones” The other night an eight-year-old girl asked me how old I was - I refused to tell her. Not because I care, just because I don’t believe in keeping track. She said, “I bet you're 75 or something, because you have grey hair”. I told her my brother in law went grey at 21 (true)….. Now I was back in bed squirming at the idea that I seemed guilty of something for not being young. But I wanted to teach her something “how old would you be if you didn’t know old you are” said I, “that’s a stoopid question, I DO know how old I am!” Her father said “that’s just because we told you! We could be lying” I finally fell asleep thinking of his kindness and listening to the sporadic whale sounds still echoing up from the back streets…. what in the name of God is that, it can’t be a whale zzzzzzzznozzzzzzzzzzzzz
Just days to go before the Wexford Weekend, I’ve got to send you some music so that you can sing in Mass.
I love you more than silence
Pierce xxxx
Tickets from
boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie
353-53-912-3764
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
OK lads this is your last chance for booking and just wanted to give you another option to make things easy, you can book with us, on our guaranteed reservation list, email us with your name and mobile number.
Here's a video promo for the weekend, and here's a clip of Pierce playing with Pete Seeger recently in New York.
A Home Coming Hug with Pierce Turner
A Gathering Weekend Celebration Of Pierce Turner’s music including the world premier of a Pierce Turner Mass in Wexford Town.
May 10, 11, 12, 2013
Friday May 10th 8pm at Greenacres in Selskar Wexford. Ticket price 23 euros. Pierce Turner will kick off a weekend celebration of his music by performing a two-tiered evening of his work with a string quartet and Garvan Gallagher on Bass. The first half of the show will be a selection of songs from his recent album “Songs For a verRy SmaLL OrcheStra” and in the second half they will revisit the material from “Manana In Manhattan Live” the album which earned him Irish solo performer of the year in 1994 This period of rearranged material from his first three albums was originally honed in on during a very successful residency in the Church like back room of a bar called Swift in Manhattan’s East Village. New York Magazine put him on the cover of their entertainment section and called him “One of the Cities great gems” Aer Lingus ran a promo film for those visiting the city showing this as one of the city's happening events. Many young Irish people, who worked in New York at that time, will remember these packed shows fondly.
Saturday May 11th at 3 pm, there will be a Forum “Wexford to Manhattan and back, discuss!” at the Wexford Art Centre Ticket price 10 euros with the acclaimed Playwright, author, Billy Roche (Pierce’s first cousin) Liam Fay (author and controversial columnist from the Sunday Times) Jackie Hayden (author, Hot Press columnist and former Record company president), Tom Mooney (author and Editor of the Wexford Echo). Questions will be taken from the floor, opinions will be plentiful. That evening there will be a free short-guided tour of selected pubs with snatches of history along the way.
Sunday morning May 12th at 11am Church of the Assumption Bride St. Wexford The world premiere of a Mass composed by Pierce Turner will be performed with the Bride Street Church Choir conducted by Organist Ger Lawlor. Soprano Roisin Dempsey will feature with Pierce on the altar playing strings, ending with Turner’s famous covers “Faith of our Fathers” - free entrance.
Sunday evening May 12th at 8pm The Sky and the Ground – south main st. Tickets 17 euros
The weekend will finish with a Turner solo performance and sing along parlour performance at the pub called after his song “The Sky and the Ground”
Pierce xxxx
Tickets from boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie or 353-53-912-3764
"A HOMECOMING HUG WITH PIERCE TURNER" May 10, 11, 12th - part of The Gathering
Well the weekend is over and it was truly time altering. The three days were like a whirlwind and yet slow, every waking moment was taken by thought and action-not trouble shooting though! we had put so much time and effort into preparation, it was down to just keeping the energy up and the standard. It was pretty shocking to feel the emotion at the Mass; sustained, unexpected applause at unexpected moments. I couldn't control my emotions when the Priest thanked me on the altar - and even more so when people applauded for ever. The soprano Roisin Dempsey said " go and take a bow" and I hadn't thought of that. Afterwards people came up to the altar and shook my hand or hugged me. I was a bit of a basket case, I suppose all the pressure began to release.
The weekend really was everything I hoped it would be on those sleepless nights in New York when I lay awake listening to that strange Whale cry coming up from Avenue A. By the way, on the night before we left for Ireland I went over to window to brush my teeth at the sink. It looks out on to the back of the house, and down to the left I could see the harsh street light of 11th Street illuminating a garbage truck doing its late night pick up. As its mighty jaw opened to digest the heaved in garbage bags I could hear it cry, and then again when it closed....there it was, the cry of a Whale! That big old dirty garbage truck in need of oil, was the source of that sad, beautiful, haunting underwater cry...the city does dig up its own beauty..from the depths of its exhaustion.
This Thursday at 8pm I will be at Coughlans Live in Cork City...with 2 major articles in the paper this week and the buzz so many people took back to Cork from the Wexford weekend, I am really up for this. I love you more than tuna melt.
Pierce xxxx
P.S.: This great account of the weekend was written by my friend Brian O'Driscoll.
Pierce Turner always makes me smile.
Last weekend Pierce Turner made me smile. The Homecoming Hug gathering proved if proof be needed that Pierce is a unique risk taker, performing and writing at the top of his powers. Effortlessly he moved from a concert with string quartet to the Bride Street Church with choir and finally to the pub, The Sky and The Ground for a parlour gig. Alternatively he sang, he played, he told stories, he conducted and celebrated and most of all he made us laugh, cry and sing at the top of our hearts. He has a serene faith in his craft that allows his music float above expectations and presents us time and again with gorgeous lyrical surprises wrapped in the poetry of the commonplace. The respect and regard of his fans and fellow musicians and artists was everywhere.
Greenacres on Friday night was amazing. Pierce took us through his new songs culminating with the soaring 'Yogi with a broken heart'. The second half of the show featured Pierce's early songs performed with a string quartet. Effortlessly, he cloaked us in his Wexford youth and early New York years. We were with him when the sun shone on Commercial Quay and down a Manhattan Avenue and how it shone.
Sunday morning brought the people of Wexford to Bride Street for the world premiere of Pierce Turner's mass. Pierce was retuning to his pitch as a youthful choirboy to perform his mass. Roisin Dempsey sang his opus 'Union' a song that surely deserves to be recorded for a wider audience. Roisin's interpretation of Pierce's composition together with Ger Lawlor's conducting was a truly exhilarating and spiritual musical moment. The mass finished with an emotional outpouring of deserved appreciation for a very special artist.
Brian O'Driscoll
Architect Wexford
I have a new neighbour!! Scares the living daylights out of me. I see them unloading grotty furniture from a big white van. They are young fellas, with tattoos and high hair, shaved side-face up as far as possible, before crossing to the other side. This is an old house with walls like paper, I can hear them bumping the sofa against the door frame “push her up!” “lift the bottom” “kick it in !” BANG !! I hear the front door slam. Oh my God there seems to be five or six of them, oh wait there’s another one.
I worry about my karma. Thinking back to my first apartment in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, a beautiful brownstone on Ovington Avenue owned by the local Vicar. A gentleman. It was the 2nd floor of a 2 storey house. And the poor bugger living on the ground floor was an Irish-American called McNulty, he lived there with his wife and nine year old daughter. Unfortunately for him, he was erratic, irrational and not too articulate - a bit uncouth - so he wasn’t able to make his valid point to the Vicar when he lodged his complaint about us, which he did almost every day. We on the other hand - four smart arse twenty one year olds -were well able to create a verbal camouflage whenever McNulty fumed his displeasure to the very reasonable Vicar “it’s very unfortunate Vicar, Mr McNulty seems awfully annoyed, we are really sorry (sic)”
McNulty would be stomping and steaming like a bull, roaring in frustration “they’re a bunch of no-good bums!*#+$% …….Look at them, they don’t even shave, if I saw you’s on the street I would think ye’s were from Skid Row” The Vicar would think this very distasteful: “now now Mr McNulty, these seem like very nice young men to me” “you have no idea what this scum is like to live under, the other night I tried to sleep through their noise when I saw one of them climbing down over my front window at two o’clock in the morning, he was too lazy to use the stairs, they had some heap a noise playing on the stereo that was on repeat and just kept playing over and over, I ran up and their door was wide open, they were all fast asleep….. fast asleep!” He didn’t mention that he came in and slapped my friend Bob in the face, he woke up in a state of shock to see McNulty’s arse disappearing out the door.
We drove this poor guy crazy, he was constantly banging his broom against the ceiling and screaming at us “shut up ye scum!” But we were young and thought that he was just a nut. It never dawned on us that this was a classy building and that he was probably proud to have moved up in the world a little, his dream apartment for his Wife and daughter. Well I love this house and I sit here nervously awaiting my karma, I’m really sorry Mr McNulty…..And whomever keeps the Karma accounts….I was a young fool that thought of time as endless, and never dreamed I would be an adult one day.
The Pierce Turner Mass, will be on national TV here on Monday July 1st at 7pm – the progamme is called Nationwide-RTE 1- you can watch it here afterwards anywhere on the planet. (The link is good until 7/22/2013 go to: 0:17:00 for the story titled: "Helen McInerney travels to the Church of the Assumption in Bride St. in Wexford."
Also there will be a feature in The Irish Times Magazine next Saturday July 6th with Eoin Colfer (his book Artemus Fowl sold 24 million copies) and myself talking about our friendship.
Upcoming gigs:
Saturday July 6th: Katie Daly’s, Gorey, Main Street, Co Wexford - Doors 8 p.m.
Thursday July 18th: De Barra's, Clonakilty, West Cork - Doors 9 p.m.
Saturday July 27th: The Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co Dublin - Doors 7.30 p.m.
I love you more than Spain (and that’s a lot) ……Pierce xxxx
Also, check out this audio recording of the Forum from the Pierce Turner Gathering weekend, this was an amazing success -with Billy Roche, Liam Fay, Jackie Hayden, Tom Mooney, Frank Phelan discussing what the hell is wrong with me!!!
Tonight, tonight, the sun watched over us in the garden as we ate a salady summer mixture washed down with Pinot. The church bell man practiced just down the hill, his chime rang out across the river above the sail boats parked on Commercial Quay - and Clare and I lay back on our red canvas Garden chairs watching above the Cherry tree, 18 foot now I believe, and still a growing. There some small pilot in his private plane as he rips the sky with ambition and the pigeons circle in a routine circle from that house below the Friary. It's heaven in Wexford when the sun shines, I must make sure to remember this.
It's worth checking out this review of my Cork gig as I will be in Co Cork next Thursday at the very special town of Clonakilty in this amazing venue De Barras. Originally owned by Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience - this is such a unique venue with amazing sound, it's a Summer place! and this is some Summer.
Upcoming gigs:
Thursday July 18th: De Barra's, Clonakilty, West Cork - Doors 9 p.m.
Saturday July 27th: The Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co Dublin - Doors 7.30 p.m.
Saturday August 10th: Athy Community Arts Centre, Athy, Co. Kildare - Doors 8 p.m., Box Office: 087 -2761156 or athyarts@gmail.com
Friday August 16th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry - Doors 8 p.m.
You know I love you and I always will my minds made up by the way that I feel (what's that song?) Pierce xxxx
This is just a quick one to remind you of some upcoming gigs, including one TONIGHT in Athy! So switch off the computer, and get out the door!
Here they are:
Saturday August 10th: Athy Community Arts Centre, Athy, Co. Kildare - Doors 8 p.m., Box Office: 087 -2761156 or athyarts@gmail.com
Friday August 16th: St John's Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry - Doors 8 p.m.
Saturday August 31st: Electric Picnic Festival, Lit Tent
Sunday September 15th: Americana Festival, Roisin Dubh, Galway
Friday November 1st: Spiegeltent, Wexford Fringe
Here's a review of my recent gig in Clonakilty - with apologies to Bruce!
I love you as much as I love my union card and my wedding coat, Pierce xxxx
Left my car in for service the other day. Sometimes I wish I could leave myself in for servicing…and go away (….) "I'll come back for him next week!"
I have been living with myself for some time now and have gotten used to the necessary maintenance. It’s a full time job, not part time. I can say 24/7, without the slightest hesitance, and it’s not a job that will ever be finished while I am alive. It certainly is a work in progress, but unlike the largest project, or the most multiple highway being constructed like a wedding cake of tarmacadam around Limerick City, it will never ever be finished. It will be closed down one day alright, but not finished, just stopped like the end of Route 66. So naturally I find it a little exhausting and wouldn’t mind a break from it. I mean I have run out of funds on several occasions, but even then the work carries on.
Even after all this experience, I tend to believe, from time to time, that I am coming to a conclusion of some sort. Writing an album, recording it and finishing the cover, the work can feel like it will never end. And I hammer away with increasing fervour day after day, closer and closer I get, almost holding my breath with determination to finish what I started. And then, when it is done…what will happen??? A small collapse perhaps. But not a new space to live in, or a totally different road to ride upon. Just a bend in the road, and off we go again, me and Pierce Turner, he will never leave me alone while I am alive. So I have to look after him! 24/7!
Here are my next few bends in the road:
IRELAND
Saturday August 31st: Electric Picnic Festival, Lit Tent with Eoin Colfer
Sunday September 15th, 8.00: Americana Festival, Roisin Dubh, Galway
Saturday October 5th:
Cunninghams
, Kildare
Friday November 1st, 8.00: Spiegeltent,
Wexford Fringe
, Tickets from Whites for Music, Main Street, Wexford
(053 9122067) or Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket (053 9123764)
UK
Friday October 18th:
The
Courtyard Theatre
, London.
USA
Saturday November 30th: Joe's Pub,
New York
Sunday December 15th:
An Béal
Bocht
, New York
I will be taking the boat to England soon. It leaves from the south east corner of Ireland, a place
called Rosslare. That’s about eleven miles from here. When I originally emigrated to America,
my sister brought me to that tall harbour wall and from there I went to London and on to the New York snows of
January.
I only get to play in England, at best once a year. And before last year it was several annums ago.
This new venue could be a great spot for us. It’s a beautiful old refurbished building with
excellent sound, lights and bar. It’s a brand new place and I’m lucky to get in there
at the start. My friend Simon Boswell found it (Co - producer of the Sky and the Ground album) so
that’s a fine recommendation, I imagine next year this will be one of London’s top spots for
Theatre as well as music. If you are capable of being there I do hope my timing suits your calendar.
Or that your calendar is flexible in it’s demand, insistent, but not persistent, suggestive but not regimented.
And if it is all of the bad stuff mentioned above, I hope it is so, in my favour. In other words,
I hope Oct 18th at the
Courtyard
London is already in your (bloody) calendar.
I love you more than You.
Please come through too. Will I see you there? Twill be great.
Pierce xxxxx
IRELAND
Saturday October 5th: Cunninghams, Kildare
Friday November 1st, 8.00: Spiegeltent, Wexford Fringe,
Tickets from Whites for Music, Main Street, Wexford (053 9122067) or Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket
(053 9123764)
UK
Friday October 18th: The Courtyard Theatre, London.
USA
Saturday November 30th: Joe's Pub, New York
Sunday December 15th: An Béal Bocht,
New York
Hi again
Just a quick reminder that I'm playing at the Courtyard in London on Friday,
October 18th. Tickets are available here.
Hope to see you there
Pierce xxxxx
IRELAND
Friday November 1st, 8.00: Spiegeltent,
Wexford Fringe
, Tickets from Whites for Music, Main Street, Wexford
(053 9122067) or Wexford Arts Centre, Cornmarket (053 9123764)
UK
Friday October 18th:
The
Courtyard Theatre,
London.
USA
Saturday November 30th:
Joe's
Pub
, New York
Sunday December 15th:
An Béal
Bocht
, New York
Last night I got payback for a year a growing, and a year a sowing. I have been following a line of thought that has been holding me together. When I’m performing on stage I think of the words as they drop from my mouth and nothing else. It seems easy, but it isn’t. It’s very easy to get distracted when you’re on stage by the audience's appearance. Why aren’t they dancing? Or singing? Or clapping more? “Why is that woman scrunching up her face?”….. Once I start thinking this way I am in trouble, because then my performance gets affected too, usually for the worse. It’s insidious.
Obviously when the night is perfect, a full house of enthusiastic fans, great sound, in good voice, there is nothing to be concerned with. But when the situation is more ambiguous, that’s when this discipline saves the day. Last night in the beautiful Spiegeltent it all seemed perfect. Amazing setting, 1920’s art nouveau tent on the Wexford Quay front and a full house. I had the Brass and Reed Band that I played with as a kid play with us in the first 2 songs and the house went wild. But then some uncertainty set in as I dug deeper into new material. I was teetering on the edge as the audience just sat there and listened, this is where in the old days I might have freaked out and started to try harder, thereby ruining everything and maybe even breaking a string. But last night I just leaned on the new plan, keep focused on the words and the music and don’t drift. The result was alarmingly effective. A strength/bond started to build between the audience and myself. It was a magical night and ended with a very surprising standing ovation. Holding the line and not letting the performance be affected by insecurities saved the day, and in a way proved that there is nothing wrong with the music if I perform it properly. It’s a comforting thing to know. A bit like a surgeon or soldier, having their knowledge to lean on when they are tired and unsure.
Leaving for the U.S. soon, I do hope my American friends remember me and come to Joe’s Pub in NY on Nov 30th it has been so long. As usual I have asked Joe’s to let me start a half hour earlier (at 7pm) so that I can do a longer show. I will have my great brother musicians, Fred Parcells on Bone and soaring vocal harmonies and Rob Thomas on Violin, Viola, and Bass. Also I have not played in Philadelphia for many years; the last time was with Suzanne Vega in a Theatre called ??? there was a great review in the Philadelphia Enquirer. My debut album had a full page rave in the same paper. There has always been tremendous potential there. And yet I have not returned until now! Yes, this December 19th I will be at the Tin Angel in Philly. This will be a break from my usual Manhattan, Ireland, UK routine. I start slowly here, spreading word on the ground. Our previous Vet (for our Cat) Janna Norris is from Philly, Professor Aubrey Chamberlain (ex NY regular) has moved there, my last subletter who writes for Jimmy Fallon will be there, Violinist Win Horan from Solus who played with me in Swift, lives there. Clare’s first cousin Amanda Knight and her husband have moved there from Brighton, Gianni Siri a friend from Brooklyn lives there, can you add to this list please? Maybe that writer from the Enquirer? Let’s make this a Christmas party.
Between Joe’s and Philly I will return to the Beal Bocht in Riverdale on Dec 7th. That’s always a
killer gig, not worried about that. But Joe’s Pub and Tin Angel is a greater challenge, will you help me
and come down, book early please?
My American Sausages I am coming back. Dear Irish sausages thank you for a great year.
I love you, like I love the stars xxxxPierce
USA
Saturday November 30th: Joe's Pub, New York
Sunday December 15th: An Béal Bocht, New York
Thursday December 19th: The Tin Angel, Philadelphia. More ticket information here.
Don't forget! The first of my US shows is just over a week away, at Joe's
Pub. Buy a ticket as an early Christmas present for yourself - it might be the best
one you get! Check out the links below:
Saturday November 30th: Joe's Pub,
New York
Sunday December 7th:
An Béal
Bocht
, New York
Thursday December 19th:
The Tin Angel
, Philadelphia. More ticket information here.
I went to get my Synth Module fixed today, I had a feeling that it was a minor complaint, but still I needed it. This place was on 30th bet 5th and 6th, a pretty new building with a fancy buzzer down stairs. It said "have a nice day and welcome to the building" which flashed across a small screen "to reach the business that you require look up the directory bet A and Z...." this place was called A440 Audio on the 5th floor, I tried everything but could not open this bloody door. Then a young woman heading out to smoke a cigarette let me in.
"just for curiosity, how does that buzzer work?" waving it away with her cigarette she dismissed...."fuck knows!" I got out on the 5th floor, at the end of a small hallway the door was open to a tiny office jammed with synthesizers. They were everywhere,big huge ones, small ones, on the floor, up against the wall (some of them worth a fortune) I walked into the dimly lit claustrophobic, slightly smelly and sweaty hallway of the room. I said "hello". A feeble voice answered "yes, can I help you". I said "hello, where are you?" "in here". I looked down the darkening hallway, to my right there might have been a counter, I wasn't sure, whatever it was, was piled up to the ceiling with equipment, mini-disc players-dat machines-synth modules-just piles of yokes. "in here" "you have to sit on the stool to see me".
There was a high stool behind me, I sat down, and there through the letterbox of skewered space between all the yokes, was a balding old man of about seventy five with long grey scraggly hair wearing a shabby old blue shirt and black tie. His wire rimmed glasses had some Cellotape mending, and his trousers were held up tight by a worn out and tattered old brown leather belt. He was folded in half by years of being alone with all this mending, his shoulders almost touched his knees. He wanted 75 dollars to just look at it, and said if I was in a hurry I should have the rush job for $125. "no, I'll just have the normal job thanks"
"well, when do you need it?" says he. "Next week" says I. "well,
if it's not a rush job, I can't have it until January!" says he. "What
! Well I wouldn't have come here if you had told me that over the phone. Can
I have it back please?" I went home and finally found the manual for my beloved
old Synth module, which I would've had, if I lived in one place like a normal
person. There was one tiny switch on the back on Comp instead of Midi. I flipped
it and lo and behold it worked, I talked out loud for a long time "thank you
God, thank you I could have paid $125 for him to do that in 3 seconds" The
ould bastard!
It's snowing outside, and I have a song called "Snow" - it may be the most commercial song on my new album. Vermillion Design made an iPad app for it and just won first prize in Ireland from the Institute of Designers of Ireland. And yet I find myself doing nothing about it. What is this apathy that I feel from the world towards music? Not, when I play live though, the gigs have been tremendous of late. But I feel that even if I did try to get "Snow " out there, that there is nowhere out there for it to go! So can I ask you what you think? any suggestions?
Next Thursday Dec 19th I will play in Philadelphia for the first time in an eternity. My friend Win Horan from the great Irish Trad band Solas recommended the Tin Angel. Win played the beautiful solo in "All Messed up" on Manana in Manhattan Live. She was in my quartet for years. and lives in Philly now. They serve food and stuff. This is my new plan. Instead of just playing in Manhattan and Ireland, I want to add Philly, Boston and Washington DC to the list, I have already added the U.K. So where should I play in those other places? I don't ask agents, I ask my friends.
Lastly...we are in NY for Christmas and New Years Eve. So what better way than to have a party/gig in our apartment on New Years Eve. I will dust off all my old party songs, like "Mr Smith" and "I'm a Busy man", my track that made it to "The Wire" "Dirty Old Town" and....it will be more of a party than the usual house gigs. We can only hold 25..make your mind up now, I had to!
I really want to spend the night with my sausages. I love you more than wine
and smelly cheese Pierce xxxxxx
Thursday December 19th:
The Tin Angel
, Philadelphia. More ticket information here.
Tuesday December 31st: Pierce & Clare's apartment in the East Village, New
York. Capacity only 25 - so plan now. Pierce will perform a party set and be
house dj, specialising in 70’s groovy unhackneyed tracks. Delicious
finger food and champagne,B.Y.O.B, merely 60 bux a head. You can book now on Paypal (send the money to piercenewyork@aol.com and remember
to include your name and number in a note with the payment), or via
claregturner@gmail.com
PieRce TuRner, "SoNgs for a VeRRy SmaLL ORchesTRA" Presentation Video. from madebymario on Vimeo.
The snow floats horizontally past the sitting room window; outside on the Avenue, hats turn into poetry as they set up different memories fronted by the falling snow. There’s a man crouched by the corner cake shop, pulling in all his raggy coats beneath the cardboard sign, sagging and blurred saying “praying for a miracle, help me” a dog wearing shoes hops past frolicking in the fresh air.
Sorry to have taken so long to write to you dear ones, I hadn’t forgotten you. You see I’ve been actually writing stories! And that explains why that first paragraph is all WRITE-EE ……and why I haven’t written, I’m all written out, ye see! My social media guru tells me that you won’t read this if it’s too long: ye see we know now if you read this or not! Now don’t go all Snowden on me, I can’t see into your sitting room, or toilet, or anything like that.
Good news about the Mass, I am working on a tour for next year with Note Productions, a high quality company from Dublin with Matthew Nolan former curator for the Killkeny Arts Festival at the helm. The plan is to combine a gig and the Mass in several different towns. The towns themselves will be determined by the choirs, organists and priests that want to be involved. We are applying for a grant. Will keep you informed. Also on the prowl now for summer festivals in Europe. As always I counsel your advice on where you would like to see me perform.
But right now, before our faces, I am in New York and saddened to hear of dear old Pete Seeger, a champion of the people. A soldier for the everyman has been knocked from his horse. Thank you Pete for being at the front line for us, all of your life. For yielding your sword in defense of the flowers.
Here's Pete and I last April in New York at N.Y.U. singing Turn Turn Turn.
Gigs are unfolding as I speak, we will all sing out to the heavens above for the love of Pete. I am waiting on some more dates, but better tell you about these now.
Words are cheap-but honest to livin Jasus, I love you more than the word means. And I can prove it!
Fri. March 14th, New York: Paddy Reilly's, 519 2nd Ave Corner 29th Street, Reservations 212 686 1210 - Start at 8 p.m. Sing out with me for the love of Pete.
Advisable, agreeable and supportive to get tickets in advance.
Sat. March 22nd, Riverdale, New York: An Béal Bocht, 445 W. 238th St. Reservations 718 884 7127 - Start at 7 p.m. Subway 1 train to 238 Street.
Pierce xxx
Pierce Turner - "Snow"
Published on Feb 24, 2014
This Pierce Turner video of his song "Snow" was filmed entirely in Tompkins Square Park and a back-garden in the East Village of New York City.
The song is from Pierce's latest album, "SoNgs for a VeRRy SmaLL ORchesTRA". The video was produced and directed by John Rokosny and Andriette
Redmann / NewYorkMVP.com
The Song For The Year from Colin Murnane
At the height of Ireland's tiger boom, acclaimed cult Irish musician Pierce Turner embarked on a unique tour of Ireland ... playing peoples own pianos in their own parlours, and front rooms. This is the story of the artist's year, the pianos, and the people who opened their homes.
Colin Murnane's film follows Pierce from his homes in Wexford and Manhattan to the studio in Woodstock NY, along the way there are surreal twists, with storyline cameos from the legendary Rory Gallagher and the late John Steinbeck, and venues as differing as the famed Public Theatre Manhattan and The Headon's Parlour in Birr.
There is so much going on, my head is dizzy. My bank manager is amused, he said he has never known anyone so busy and so broke. I said I have never known anyone so broke (as him) and so rich! “clever words they mean nothing” I know. But seriously I do believe that we have hit on something here with these live concerts on the internet. You must take part.
The tickets are on sale now, pay what you like, as little as a dollar (for the cheap bah-st-urds) This could be a way of reaching all of you, some in too far away places like Australia, Argentina - I would love to go there, but never have. The first show will be 8 pm EST on March 12th. This will be tricky for many I know, but I will do some on Sundays 2pm EST and that will suit most people. You can send me requests even as I perform. If this works it might free me from the constraints that are surfacing since streaming audio has robbed us musicians blind. They will be our private studio sessions. I'll be playing songs, some as yet unrecorded, taking requests, and answering YOUR questions in real time! We can dig up some lost ones too, like “Steven’s Preparing to Leave”. You can purchase tickets HERE.
I've got a different kind of gig this Saturday, March 1st, performing at the American Society of Media Photographers with Padraig Grant's wonderful photos for 3 Minute World as a backdrop.
Colin Murnane has now released his documentary “Song for the Year” to view online HERE. So if you haven’t seen it, this is your chance, it is such an amazing labour of love. It's free to watch, but I'm sure you'll want to click on the "Tip this video" link when you've seen it. I am eternally grateful Colin.
I love you more than sleep.
Pierce xxx
Fri. March 14th, New York: Paddy Reilly's, 519 2nd Ave Corner 29th Street, Reservations 212 686 1210 - Start at 8 p.m. Sing out with me for the love of Pete.
Advisable, agreeable and supportive to get tickets in advance.
Sat. March 22nd, Riverdale, New York: An Béal Bocht, 445 W. 238th St. Reservations 718 884 7127 - Start at 7 p.m. Subway 1 train to 238 Street.
Getting a tremendous response to Colin Murnane’s titanic piece of work, the documentary “Song for the Year". Really glad that you like it - you can watch it HERE. Now all of a sudden everyone wants to do a Parlour Gig! Bring em on, I have my little suitcase packed - get in touch HERE. Also check out John Rokosny's new video for Snow
And next Wednesday you can come into MY Parlour for a live show via the magic of the internet, really having fun putting songs together for this Parlour Session with my equipment (all the details HERE). AND I’m really having fun putting a set together for next FRIDAY MARCH 14TH (8PM) at PADDY REILLY’S MUSIC BAR “THE GREATEST BITS SHOW”. I intend to crawl across that bar for the first time since I was last drunk there.
And then the magical Beal Bocht mini Theatre in Riverdale-March 22nd with excerpts from my new Performance/Book “why use 2 words when 10 will do”.
Are we awake now? January is gone, with its forlorn song - March is here with black and green beer!
Still I love you more than a big Fry-up
Pierce xxxx
Fri. March 14th, New York: Paddy Reilly's, 519 2nd Ave Corner 29th Street, Reservations 212 686 1210 - Start at 8 p.m. Sing out with me for the love of Pete.
Advisable, agreeable and supportive to get tickets in advance.
Sat. March 22nd, Riverdale, New York: An Béal Bocht, 445 W. 238th St. Reservations 718 884 7127 - Start at 7 p.m. Subway 1 train to 238 Street.
Pierce Turner, Wednesday March 12th at 8 p.m. for about 45 minutes
Streaming live from my New York recording studio/apartment at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT , 5 p.m. PT, 12 midnight Wexford, UK, 1 a.m. Paris)
Here are clear instructions for how to attend:
Fri. March 14th, New York: Paddy Reilly's, 519 2nd Ave Corner 29th Street, Reservations 212 686 1210 - Start at 8 p.m. Sing out with me for the love of Pete.
Advisable, agreeable and supportive to get tickets in advance.
Sat. March 22nd, Riverdale, New York: An Béal Bocht, 445 W. 238th St. Reservations 718 884 7127 - Start at 7 p.m. Subway 1 train to 238 Street.
My dear things, I will do another webcast concert for Ireland and the UK from my New York apartment on Sunday March 30th at 8 PM Irish/UK time, 3 PM EST. This should suit a lot of time zones because it’s Sunday. Bloody Mary in New York, glass of wine or cranberry juice in Ireland.
Our first one on March 12th was at 8 PM EST and most of the viewers were American, although we had some Australians, Irish, English even someone in Nepal! The response was truly exciting, everyone knew that something different was happening . People were saying how they were cuddled up on their bed and they could send me messages, The whole world can watch, and when you are watching, you are watching it with the whole world! There were even babies being fed while watching.
We are working with a website called Concert Window, once you log in it’s really easy to follow the directions, you can watch it on any computer, smart phone, Ipad.
I perform in my apartment/recording studio and you can communicate with me as I perform, I can read the messages on the screen. You can make requests, and even tip! Pay what you like for the tickets from one dollar up. This is a chance to see and hear the kind of songs I sing for my own amusement. This week will feature a version of James Blake’s “Wilhelm Scream” at the old Baldwin donated by Philip Glass, along with many seldom heard originals. The performance will last forty five minutes to an hour. Just click HERE and follow the instructions.
Let’s hook up on Sunday!! It’s really easy, buy your ticket now so that you can relax.
I love you more than a cool glass of Rosé in spring.
And when shall the time be when all is perfect?
No downs just ups
no fears just fortitude
no pain just gain
no debts just abets? That time shall be, when you are not!
Ah just the same, there is always time for a nice cup of tea, or a trip home to
Ireland from the rumble of New York. I am a little flummoxed as we are renovating
my apartment and the dust is in my mouth and ears. We are living in the Kitchen,
and I am surely worse off than most of ye who readith this in your armchair without
the leg of an upside down table sticking into your ribs! But time I findeth,
to remindeth you of the forthcoming gigs in Ireland, being the martyr for the cause
that I am. I am feeling the excitement in my goyther.
The book - “why use 2 words when 10 will do perfectly well” - is giving
me a lot of pleasure to write and the publishing company are very pleased, which
is giving me confidence that I didn’t have about being a writer. These gigs
in Ireland will probably be my only gigs there this year, so please don’t
dawddle. I am wrapping the stories more and more around the songs in performance
and a residency is planned in the New York Irish Arts Centre for the Fall. But
these three Irish gigs are in stellar performance spaces. The National Concert Hall in Dublin on July 10th will
be a chance for me to get my hands on a Steinway Grand!!! This will be at the John
Field Room and tickets are available now. I promise you not to be who I’m
not, and to give a full account of who I always was and will be under that beautiful
chandelier. I have wanted to play there for years, so this is a true first. Plan
on a classy evening out with a few pints and plenty of singing.
Working backwards, the first Irish gig will be at the Mermaid Theatre Bray on June 14th. This is also a
first, a classy venue, that I have been trying to time into my Irish tours for a
while, always seems the timing is off. Haven’t even played in Bray before
as far I know. And
June 28th at The
Granary in Cork City
. This is another gig that keeps falling through
the cracks because of timing. Cork is always a thrill for me, has always been a
highly supportive city, a place that celebrates true Irishness without the gimmicks
or the blarney, the home of Sean O Riada and his family. His son Ali used to do
my sound there, I knew him for ages before he said! Cork has been singing with me
for years.
After the National Concert Hall on July 10th I return to spend my first summer in
New York for a while. The webcasts will resume in May - probably the 7th. I’ll
let you know, first of all I have the get the dust out of here. I look forward to
seeing you my friends in Ireland for these live dates. And everywhere during
the webcasts from my newly renovated sitting room - wait till you see it, all Downton
Abbey colours an all, about the same size too!
I love you more than the cute one with the raspy voice that died, married to the
Dublin fella.
Pierce xxxx
Now that the Sitting Room has a new ceiling and walls, is painted all Downton Abbeyish
and about the same size too, we are resuming the Webcast Concerts from there. It's
so simple - just click
HERE
and follow the instructions and you can't
go wrong. The tickets cost whatever you want to pay from one dollar up, all you
need is a credit card of any type including Paypal. I will perform for just under
an hour or so, last time we did an encore which made it an hour. You can write to
me during the show, and write to each other!
I will take requests, and some unusual songs will get performed. Last time I did
"Steven's Preparing to leave" and "Groovy Hearts"
It's on this Wednesday Night, at 8:00pm EDT! you can have a few friends over
for a quiet glass of wine or for dinner. It really was received very well by those
who partook in the first two. It's interesting to connect with anyone in the
world, have a friend in a far off place join you, you can write to them during it!
Please pass the word, and buy your ticket now so that we can build a head of steam
- they will remind you when the day comes if you buy a ticket now. If I can make
this work it will change my life, so please lend your support.
From the rumble of New York,
All the best Pierce.
Dear Friends,
Just a final reminder that I will be performing a Live Web-Show at 8:00pm EDT tonight,
Wednesday May 14th.
I will be taking song requests and answering your questions - live, in real time.
You can purchase online tickets starting now and pay-what-you-want - click THIS link!
The Web-Show will not be recorded – it's offered in real time.
Wherever you are in the world, you can tune in on your computer, smart phone or
tablet device - invite your friends and watch together - even if you're in different
cities!
I hope you can join me!
Pierce
Pierce Turner’s 4th Concert on the web - live from New York, 4 p.m. EDT/ 9
p.m. (UK & Ireland time) Monday May 26th
It will be Monday, you will have the day off (if you're in the UK or US), and
after a day of pottering around in your underwear or pyjamas, you will feel the
onslaught of Tuesday’s tasks veering around the bend. You might have a nice
bottle of red or white lurking in the shade and a plan to share it with yourself
or someone else. They might not be nearby or they could be five hundred miles away,
preferably in the same time zone. At around half eight you will place the computer
on the small table and put your feet up on the Ottoman, click
HERE
and watch the beautiful red curtain of the concert stage, behind it
I will be preparing with the lavishly talented crew and sometimes backing singers,
John Rokosny, Andriette Redman and Clare Turner. At 9 p.m. the curtain will withdraw
to reveal our new lime green sitting room on First Avenue in Manhattan, with me
at my piano and guitar yapping to you and singing all kinds of songs from my world,
some you never heard, some rarely, some very familiar. It will be 4 p.m. in NY –
Eastern Day Time - on Memorial Day Weekend, celebrations will abound, stealth bombers
flying over the West River and the Tall ships cruising along beneath in quiet dignity
- out on Long Island my Manhattan brothers will begin their summer purges upon the
sunny sound. You can write to me as I perform or write to your friend 500 miles
away - Clare will read out your requests to me and I will sing them if I know em.
Don’t be afraid of this ground breaking idea, it’s so easy and user
friendly, just go there now and book your ticket, go on now… you pay anything
from one dollar up (preferably more) we will remind you on Monday. This idea is
a winner I promise, those who have seen it are writing rave reviews, Be a part of
the future come to our house gig for the world.
Love,
Pierce xx
I am in Ireland without my wife, she has a job in New York, which means she will
never be let do anything until she is unchained from the desk after a couple of
years.
I knew she did a lot, but boy doing what she did as well as what I do is making
me work like a dog; make that a horse! The day I arrived, Albert the cat was delivered
by our friend Anne, who minds him in our absence. He was very sweet and showed his
delight, the way cats do, by sitting there purring and closing his eyes at me when
I looked at him, opening and closing his paws, it’s small stuff, but effective
in a cat way. But looking after him is like being his personal valet.
“Get me some food will ye? And the cat litter needs changing by the way”
“But I just changed it 2 hours ago”
“Yeah well I’m going to bed soon and I need to pee”
“Why didn’t you pee when you were outside?”
These kind of questions go un-answered.
“I have to get ready for these gigs ye know! I have a gig in Bray next week and in Wexford the following week,
Cork
after that, and the
National Concert Hall
on July 10th, there a lot of things to
sort out besides your feckin cat litter”
“Before I go to bed I need you to play with me”
“Not now, I’m in the middle of writing a very important email”
“What you think people read those yokes still? Haven’t you read the
rules for owning a Cat? A major rule is that you’re supposed to play with
me for at least fifteen minutes a day, or I get sick and it will cost you a fortune,
Vets are more expensive than Doctors ye know?”
“Ok where’s that stoopid feather?”
Man we miss Clare. Please come to these gigs, I need your company, you will remind
why I’m here with this fussy animal.
Love you,
The odd couple xxxx
Pierce Turner’s “ Why use 2 words when 10 will do perfectly well”
Pierce Turner memoir expected later this year - RTÉ Ten
“Turn right and then turn right again” said the satnav, it has an annoying
male voice in a high range, an ambiguous English accent, it could be a woman but
ye know it’s a man. I didn’t turn right because I couldn’t, it
was one way, showing no disturbance at my disobedience, it immediately says “after
400 metres turn right and turn right again” Again I ignored it, I was driving
along the Quay in Waterford and knew that it would be best to go all the way to
the end and then turn right. “After 600 metres turn right and then turn right
again” “THEN” I added out loud, I turned right and my mistake
was to turn right again like it told me. It took me all over the country for about
a half hour and I suddenly realized that I was back where I started.
I was going for the NCT, a car fitness test that they do in Ireland. I have never
seen one like it anywhere that I have lived. It is far stricter than the English
one, I don’t believe there is one in America. In short it doesn’t matter
how good your car is, you have a good chance of failing. Of course it matters which
test centre that you go to. I used to go to Enniscorthy which is just fourteen miles
from Wexford, until I read that they had one of highest failure ratings in the country.
The last time I went there, there was about ten people in the waiting room all sitting
there nervously, like they were waiting to be shot. They were furtively whispering
to each other, Clare and I stood by the wall waiting to be called, we had already
handed in our car, and it was like waiting for your spouse to be tried for murder.
“Timothy Murphy” the man called out coldly from behind the narrow window.
Some whispering ensued between Timothy and the man in dark blue overalls through
the glass, he nodded in a chastising manner as he handed Tim the papers stating
what was amiss with his poor car, I don’t know where they get these men from
in Enniscorthy, their accent is indiscernible and their expressionless faces are
cold and unfamiliar. Timothy walked out with a forlorn expression like his dog needed
to be put down. As much as we could, Clare and I shared our sympathy for him. But
our own worry put limitations on the longevity of our concern for Tim. Eventually
everyone in the room failed, including us, and I mentioned it to the guy in the
Blue overalls as he handed me my rejection for a very minor flaw, he said. “The
machines don’t lie” “Well maybe they should try it sometime -
everyone else does!”
So now I go to Waterford, where the atmosphere is considerably more pleasant and
people generally pass. Where the waiting room doesn’t feel like a funeral
home. I have to say though that in Ireland the satnav is a dead loss, it will take
you down old country roads with cowsheds and shite all over the place, by the time
you get there the car will look like it is a thousand years old and smell like an
abattoir. Still, my car passed woo-hoo!!!, And now I am let drive to
Cork this
Saturday June 28th
to play in the Granary, how I love Cork
and the Corkonians, loads of singing and laughter, I am really looking forward to
it.
And then...the final gig of This Little Tour – at
The National Concert Hall on Thursday July 10th
with the Steinway Grand
Piano, if you are one of those people that have been sticking up for me for years,
sometimes in the face of great adversity, this is the night where we can take a
stand for us. Please spread the word and take yourself to this event. This is a
big anniversary year at Whelans of Wexford Street and they are having post gig drinks
upstairs after the gig at the Concert Hall. My Sisters are all coming up from Wexford
and I am staying with them at a B&B nearby, so I am tallyho to party with you.
Please book now and lets make this our celebration after all these years. It will
be brill. All the gigs so far have been brilliant, but Boy have the tickets been
sold late in the day, giving me an ulcer almost. My Sister says it’s because
people are waiting until the last minute to see what they can afford, is that true?
I love you more than the world cup (Not this one now, the one in 1994)
Pierce xxx
Pierce Turner for the National Concert Hall | Music | News | Hot Press
Thanks be to the livin Japers, the ticket sales are going well for the National Concert Hall, we have room for yous too though.
The media is now responding also, I'm doing Dave Fanning on Sunday morning 10
AM on RTE 2FM and Arena on
Tues July 8th at 7pm live on
RTE
Radio
1 -
with a new song and interview. Click on the links to tune in. The song is called
“An Indian Prayer” and I have just written it, never before performed.
It's based on a letter written by Chief Seattle to the U.S Government when they
requested to buy tribal lands for the arriving people to the United States. it was
about in about 1852.
What will happen when you’ve bought us
Killed the Buffalos tamed the horses
And the scent of men fill every glen
Illuminating private corners
(c) Turner 2014
In the Chief's letter he points out all the parts of nature that can’t
be sold, and the traditions of his people, the silence, the air, the waters, the
ponies. It’s amazing how relevant it is to the anxieties of today. Chief Seattle
knew what was ahead of us if we bought and sold the sky.
How I would love to see a full house at the Concert hall, and then for us all to
pop over to Whelans afterwards for a pint upstairs in the Parlour, I’m staying
nearby. What a send-off that would be, before I return to the heat of New York....
where are those shorts? My neighbour says she can’t take the heat in Wexford
by the way “Ah I’d sooner have the cold, at least I can put me coat
on” It’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a cool breeze and sunny. New Yorkers
will read this and cry.
Don’t let anything stand between us.
I love the way, you love the way, I love the way, you love the way, I love yoooooo.
Px
Here, my lovely sausages, is a short excerpt from one of the stories that I will
tell during my up and coming (and did and done, Irish shows) at Klub 45 in Times
Square - does that make it ON BROADWAY? The response in Ireland took me back a bit
I must say, and really it is better to be taken aback when people honour you with
a standing ovation, at least one looks taken aback, as opposed to pretending to
be, there is nothing as bad as a hand on the heart, pretend to be taken aback, while
throwing kisses to the balcony, is there?
Oh I should just shut up. Thanks so much everyone for the encouragement. Klub 45
is upstairs at
Connollys
of Time Square
- the details are at the bottom of this letter. You may have
seen Black 47 play there. It is a great room with a state of the art sound system.
We will have tables and chairs and it’s going to be very cosy. They serve
food in the restaurant downstairs - so having dinner beforehand sounds like a good
plan. Maybe some of you would go after work! The show will be at 8 pm, you will
be home early.....and with a smile in your brain that will burn for the whole weekend,
hopefully. Coming to this show will be like Guinness, as they say “there is
eating and drinking in it”
You can book tickets for the gigs (on Sept 4th and Oct 2nd) HERE. If you do book for dinner, please say that you are
going to the show.
Please spread the word and let’s pack it with us.
I love you more than a turtle dove. Pierce xxx
THE PERMIST ©2012 PIERCE TURNER
I remember when there was a hairdresser in my hometown of Wexford called Tony Myler,
who gave gorgeous perms. He was known far and wide to be a terrific permist; he
himself had a gorgeous perm. And he had an assistant called Kate whom he had thought
his technique to. She was nearly almost as good as him, and nearly almost as good,
was the standard in Ireland at that time. My Mother got wind of the fact that Kate
was nearly almost as good, and figured; that was good enough for her. So she booked
Kate to come down to our house to do a bit of perming. She roped my three sisters
into it too, so that she might get a job lot. Kate arrived at our house at half
past six, just after the evening news. She went upstairs with her bag of curlers
and went at it, hammer and tongs. I had nothing to do on a Monday night, and we
had a young boarder from Cork staying in the house at the time; he was bored too!
So we decided to go upstairs and check out the goins on. We entered into that feminine
terrain with great trepidation, because of the smell of burning hair and sickly
perm solution. He swapped his hand for mine on the door handle, and in we slipped.
Nobody paid much attention to us at first, as we ambled casually towards the unoccupied
chairs over by the open fire. They were enjoying each other so much; there was no
need for extra input from the likes of us to keep the tempo going. With little shortage
of creativity, the stories were flying along without any noticeable divide, new
ones fading in, where the other one was tapering off. It was an explosion of colourful
energy, and carried along by all this, I could feel my cheeks were flushed from
this potent atmosphere; a combination of the blazing fire and the sheer feminine
abandon.Kate had a friend with her called Joyce, and I couldn’t help but notice
that she was a very attractive girl. She started asking me questions.
“Where are you from?’
“Here”
“Yeah, but where did you grow up?”
“Here”
“And where do you live now?”
Shrugging my shoulders “Here”
I wasn’t used to talking to women yet, and was economizing my replies for
fear that I might say the wrong thing. Figuring, the less I said the safer I was,
and the more intrigued was she. After they left, the Cork guy and myself sat down
facing my Mother and three Sisters on the couch, looking a bit like, four Jimi Hendrix’s..............................................................to
be continued on the night.
THE KLUB 45 ROOM (UPSTAIRS AT CONNOLLYS,TIMES SQUARE)
FIRST THURSDAY’S - SEPT 4TH AND OCT 2nd @ 8PM adm $20, CONNOLLYS 121 WEST
45 STREET (212) 597-5126. Book your tickets HERE.
I went for a swim last night over in the public pool on 23rd St and Avenue C, with
only the F.D.R between it and the East River. Clare met me there after work. It’s
a huge pool that has a lot of rules and is very well maintained. You must
have a lock for your stuff, no magazines (just books) no coloured T-shirts (In case
you jump in the pool with it on). They search your bag before entering for paraphernalia,
such as alcohol or sandwiches. It holds over 200 people apparently and it
almost never seems over crowded to me. Clare loves to swim, and it was very
relaxing for her after the tension of navigating through New York to work and back.
We came out of there all knackered and slow. We were supposed to be
on a bit of a health drive, taking hints from Carol Vorderman, but when we passed
a sign saying “Belgian beers half price before 8pm” our bodies of jellied
swimmers sat down before our brains could intervene “ ah sure we might as
well have something to eat while we’re at it.
Four beers , blue cheese-cheeseburger and chips later, we lolled our way down the
Avenue towards home, so laid back our shoulder blades were scraping the pavement.
Clare said “sometimes you’ve just got to have a treat” and
I concurred while putting the wine in the freezer. Wonder what’s in
store for today? There is an urge somewhere in the back of my scullery already
striving to take command saying stuff like “but we didn’t even get a
holiday!” I reply unconvincingly “some would say my entire life is a
holiday” There is only one way to shut it up, take an action. So I sit
down and write you this letter. And after that I will rehearse for my show
at Klub 45 in Connollys of Times Square on Thursday September 4th. You can
book tickets now
HERE
.
Who else will have me but you? Spread the madness tell a friend.
I love you more than ice cold Belgian blond (wouldn’t push it though)
Pierce xxx
THE KLUB 45 ROOM (UPSTAIRS AT CONNOLLYS,TIMES SQUARE)
FIRST THURSDAY’S - SEPT 4TH AND OCT 2nd @ 8PM adm $20, CONNOLLYS 121 WEST
45 STREET (212) 597-5126. Book your tickets HERE.
My Da was a fireman (part-time) and he came to me last night in my sleep and said
that he personally had put the fire out in Connollys, and little damage was done
because he had God on his side. He saw the Devil scedaddling up Times Square with
a torch up his bum, the AC is on full blast now and the room is as cool as a cucumber.
See you there tomorrow night! You can book tickets now HERE.
Pierce xxx
THE KLUB 45 ROOM (UPSTAIRS AT CONNOLLYS,TIMES SQUARE)
FIRST THURSDAY’S - SEPT 4TH AND OCT 2nd @ 8PM adm $20, CONNOLLYS 121 WEST
45 STREET (212) 597-5126. Book your tickets HERE.
Oct 2nd will be the final show at Klub 45 in Times Square (upstairs at Connollys).
In spite of the fire, the first gig was a cracker. Come at 7pm and eat a bit of
dinner, 8pm is showtime and you will be home with a whole fresh outlook on life
by the bedtime. You can book tickets now HERE.
BTW…..
I was born a long time ago and it wouldn’t do me any good to draw attention
to the distance between then and now, in fact if I was left to my own devices I
would stop keeping track of it completely, it seems to bring nothing only fear and
depression with every additional digit, it might be handy for the government, but
I don’t find it useful at all. I rarely feel as old as I am, and even if I
only shave 3 years off my age, I feel better about myself, perhaps because the utterance
is an intrusion on the age I feel. Anyone that I’ve ever known who kept
tabs on their age with full enthusiasm ended up dying on time. It’s foolish
behavior. Of course it also seems to be very useful to journalists! They seem to
think that their job is made a lot easier by getting that number in there as soon
as possible! They are under the impression that it tells the whole story in
an instant. One time we knew that it didn’t, but now many years after the
American establishment of the word “Teenager” it has become clear that
youth is more important and more valuable than anything else. So the further we
move from our teenage years, the less valuable we are to the planet. Therefore if
a journalist merely points out that the observer of an accident is a certain age
– we will know instantly the value of the observation! Sixty or more, “dodgy”
between forty and twenty “sharp” below that varying degrees of clueless!
Of course there would be no mention of the journalists age.
I love you more than my memories.
Pierce xxx
THE KLUB 45 ROOM (UPSTAIRS AT CONNOLLYS,TIMES SQUARE)
OCT 2nd @ 8PM adm $20, CONNOLLYS 121 WEST 45 STREET (212) 597-5126. Book your tickets
HERE.
Hot Press magazine and RTE 2fm in Ireland have teamed up to give listeners a dedicated
day celebrating brilliant homegrown music on the national airwaves. They want music
fans to help create the ultimate Irish playlist on Monday, October 27th. Can I ask
you dear sausages, to please vote for one of my songs? So as we don't get too
many songs, we are suggesting "All Messed Up" or "The Sky and the
Ground". You can vote
HERE
, but don't delay! Registering to vote is free, and if you want
to share your vote on Facebook, who am I to stop you?
I'll be playing on 3 Sunday evenings in November (the 9th, 16th and 23rd) at
the Harp Raw Bar & Grill on 729 Third Ave (between 45th
and 46th Street) in midtown Manahattan. The shows are at 5 p.m. and you can reserve
at 212-818-0123. Three magical Sundays with different sets each show — any
requests?
I love you for loving music
Pierce xx
Return to the Sunday Services this Nov 9th, at The Harp on 3rd Ave bet 45 and 46th at 5 p.m. - they serve
great food and high quality refreshments. Reserve at 212-818-0123. Bruce the owner
is a nice guy who loves music, he has installed a real piano too, I will run
all across the old and new, this is a really nice place. You’ll leave with
a smile I promise.
I went to Philosophy class last night up on 79th bet 5th and Madison, right next
to the Iraq Embassy. The class is taught by man of some maturity called Michael
Polskey. He is a beautiful man with an aura haloing around his hairless head. Last
night the subject was “Beauty”. He quoted the great Greek legends to
verify the staying power of the message, and ye have to wonder why the Greeks had
such a head start on this stuff. The message is powerful and valid to this day,
if not more valid. Beauty is not an object or a thing, beauty is omni-present it’s
every where. It is up to you and I to bring it to life. If you have no beauty in
your heart, you can’t see it. Many of us already knew this “beauty is
in the eye of beholder” But still we always need to be reminded.
I once asked John Reed, Elton John’s manager, what he thought audiences were
thinking when they came to a concert. He replied “show me how good you are”
I explained that my philosophy was the opposite. I believe (true or not) that the
audience is thinking, “I hope this guy is great” why would someone want
to give their time and money to an unhappy experience? This class seemed to verify
my beliefs. When you listen to my music, it is you that makes it beautiful (whenever
it is). If you had no beauty in your heart, it wouldn’t either. I may not
have a massive audience, but they have the beauty required to see some in me. It’s
true that my music may need hearts with extra openness to project the required
beauty. But surely these are the people any artist would crave to have before them.
This way of thinking is a great relief to me also. A performance is collaboration.
Thanks for allowing it, right back at ye.
I love you more than you love me, and I love you, and you lo……
Just come to the Harp On November 9th.
Piercexx
The last gig at Klub 45, we had a fire beforehand, and now if you're looking
to book for the Sunday Services this Nov 9th, at The Harp on 3rd Ave bet 45 and 46th at 5 p.m., you'll
discover that, thanks to Verizon, their phone lines are down. But you can call Bruce
- the owner - on his cell at 347-804-3266 to reserve.
To whet your appetite, you can watch a video HERE from one of the recent gigs at Klub 45.
Piercexx
The Sunday Service is back and flying - Nov 16th and 23rd at The Harp on 3rd between 45 & 46 at 5 p.m.
I think I told you that I’ve been attending these philosophy classes uptown.
It’s in a beautiful townhouse between 5th and Madison. Originally it was owned
by two old spinster sisters and apparently they donated it to the School of Practical
Philosophy. It’s now on sale for 51 million. Everyone who works in this building
does so on a volunteer basis. And they are all practicing or studying, or teaching
philosophy. Downstairs in the basement they have a café, with all kinds of
healthy food served at a reasonable price, only open to the students. There seems
to be about ten people working down there, a quarter of what it holds. All makes
and shapes of people, a very tall man who seems to be a about fifty ( but could
be a young sixty) with hair that is hanging on to the final days of its poorly
dyed blondness. An elderly grey haired gentleman with a limp and one side of his
eyeglasses fogged over. A lady shaped like a wedding cake, very skinny at
the top, and increasing with each tier. A veritable variety of gentle souls, all
happy as pigs in poo, all solid as iron, completely balanced and centered. They
would put the Hare Krishnas to shame. Clare meets me there at half six, she works
at 58th and 3rd - not too far from there. I bring food with me in my back pack,
and we eat down in the café. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, seemed
like we were being cheeky. I saw the wedding cake woman waddling over towards us
and thought, “Oh God this is going to be embarrassing" “Let me
get you some napkins, and would you like a glass of water?” See what I mean!
Everyone is like that, kind and thoughtful. I tell ye, I could volunteer in this place
myself, and I’m not exactly the volunteering type.
One of the things they have taught us at this school is: how to practice being in
the present. I had a chance to put it to good use my first night at the Harp last
Sunday. There was a great buzz in the room as I ran to the stage waving and smiling
“Hello, hello” to the tune of “Frantic” my usual intro track.
The track stops, the applause subsides and I slam an F chord out on the guitar for
the introduction of “Thunderstorm”. “Thank you”, I said,
when I realized there wasn’t a decibel of amplification. The mike wasn’t
working! Shit! I fiddled with the wires, told the audience to talk amongst themselves,
and begged the soundman to tell me that he
knew the answer. But no! It was dead as a doorknob, and not going to morph into
life any hour soon. We had to get a mike stand out and a conventional microphone,
and for the whole show I had to adjust to the idea of standing in one place, if
I played the piano, the stand had to come over there with me, it was a potentially
disastrous situation (ye know the way I run around). I looked around the room and
some people looked anxious. It was very important for me to hang in there. So I
put my philosophy lesson to use, I just sang the songs and lived one word at a time.
Stayed in the present, inside the song, and paid no attention to the potential disaster.
It worked like a charm; I was as grounded as the wedding cake lady, almost laughing
at the situation and ready to serve. With the past out of the picture, the present
was allowed to prosper. With the help of a great venue by the way, there is a real
piano, so all the wild requests are easier to pull off, like for instance Patryk
from the West of Ireland has asked me to play a rare Major Thinker B side tomorrow
- “Farewell to the coast” - when he visits. To top the night off, I
hopped behind the bar at the owner’s volition and served a free drink to all.
God is great!! Two more Sundays to go. Great buzz in this place.
I love you more than the wedding cake lady (and she loves everyone)
Pierce xxx
I had to get up this morning wash my face and clean my teeth, then figure out what
I could eat, I had to find a pair of socks that I could live with plus a T shirt
that was cleaner than the one I wore in bed...I'm such a busy man that I haven't
time to write a proper letter. But I wanted to squeeze this note in before I make
some breakfast, put on my favourite record and persuade that cat to vacate my seat.
If you are in NY, the gig this Sunday at
the Harp
is a must. This place is so cozy,
with Avon Faire (and you) singing back up vocals, sexy lighting, great food, and
exotic beers. Last week we had quite a few Irish people off the plane, perhaps because
this place is mid-town, Patryk from Ballyshannon made me resurrect a Major Thinkers
B side "Farewell to the coast" it was very "new wave"!!! Call 212-818-0123
for reservations
We've been featured in the New York Daily News too:
“Hi Mighty. Your old buddy Bruce Caulfield, who had the newsstand concession
in the Daily News building, recently opened his third drinking establishment. Many
of your readers would know Tracks in Penn Station and Nevada Smiths. His latest
place is the Harp Raw Bar and Grill on Third Ave. at 45th St. The next two Sundays
at 5 p.m. the legendary Pierce Turner from Ireland will be performing"
BTW dear Irish sausages, I am working on an Irish tour.
Love Pierce.
Pierce Turner’s Christmas Party at Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar in Manhattan, Sat December
13th at 8 p.m.
I just got off the phone with Steve Duggan, the proprietor of the notorious Paddy
Reilly’s Music Bar. He was out having lunch with a couple of friends,
knowing Steve he could be purchasing a horse off them or maybe a hotel in Scotland.
He is always up to something.
“What time should we start at on December 13th?”
“Tell me this, is that a Friday or a Saturday?”
“It’s a Saturday, Steve”
“Sure I don’t mind, how long do you play?”
“about two and a ¼ hours, or so, depending on the craic”
“sure I suppose about Eight O’Clock so, there’ll be another band
on later then for the ones that never go home”
Steve is the one that inspired “Not a bad day for a Wednesday”, he is
a character and a half. This is my final gig before Christmas, it was his idea “a
Christmas Party” said he "Before they all go home to their Mammy’s,
or before the Mammy’s all go home to their kids, or whatever the hell happens
nowadays”
This will be a “Greatest Bits” show. Balloons and hot toddys,
mulled wine!!! Mmmmm and all of us. Call 917-930-7702 to reserve.
“Why use 2 words when 10 will do”: The next gig after that will be 2015
at Joe’s Pub (voted one of the top 5 venues in America) On Saturday January
17th at 7 p.m. - tickets now on sale HERE. And then Beal Bocht Riverdale on March 7th, and The
Irish Arts Centre Theatre NY on April 17th and 18th. May and June looks like Ireland.
Oh and this Saturday December 6th I will perform at a free concert of songs for
the season, organized by Kath from Avon Faire (You saw them singing with me at the
Harp) at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 155 East 22nd Street at 7.30 p.m.
I love you more than Santa. Pierce xxx
December 6th:
Gustavus Adolphus
Lutheran Church
, 155 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010. 7.30 p.m.
December 13th:
Paddy Reilly’s
Music Bar
, 519 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016. Call 917-930-7702 to reserve.
January 17th: Joe's Pub,
425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003. Doors at 6 p.m., Show at 7 p.m. Box Office:
212-967-7555 or click HERE.
March 7th: An Beal Bocht Cafe,
445 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463
April 17th & 18th:
Irish
Arts Center
, 553 West 51 Street, New York, NY 10019
Pierce Turner’s Christmas Party at Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar in Manhattan, Sat December
13th at 8 p.m.
Call 917-930-7702 to reserve.
Added to the line-up at Paddy Reilly's - my compatriot Fred Parcells! Fred has toured
the world with me, played on most of my albums, sings like a bird with me, all this
before and during Black 47 - his presence brings all kinds of songs to mind.
I love you more than fancy all sorts. Pierce xxx
December 13th:
Paddy Reilly’s
Music Bar
, 519 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016. Call 917-930-7702 to reserve.
January 17th: Joe's Pub,
425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003. Doors at 6 p.m., Show at 7 p.m. Box Office:
212-967-7555 or click HERE.
March 7th: An Beal Bocht Cafe,
445 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463
April 17th & 18th:
Irish
Arts Center
, 553 West 51 Street, New York, NY 10019
OK it’s another year - it doesn’t feel like one really. I had to renew
the domain on my website the other day, I said “how much is it do ten years?”
she said “ye can’t do ten, but you can do nine or five” what?
So we did five, the present term doesn’t end for another two years anyway.
“So that will bring you up to twenty twenty two” said she. And she pulled
up my website “oh what a lovely cat”
“yeah that’s Puss, he’s dead now”
It’s outer space time. Can you believe it? In seven years time it will be
2022! I had to wonder will I be alive? Not because of my age, I should be alive
according to that, but I just never thought of myself being alive in 2022 or there
being a world - I didn’t sit down and work out the approximate date of my
expiration when I was a chap. But I don’t think my mind was capable of thinking
beyond 2000!
Now that does make me wonder about some of my cerebral friends out there, the statistical
hounds with a never-ending desire to nail down numbers. The ones that have excelled
with the advent of the computer. Did they do that? Did they figure out the approximate
time of their own demise already? Jasus that’s a very strange thought. Please
get in touch with me immediately if you have done this.
Here’s another statistic - January 17th will be my eleventh show at Joe’s
Pub - voted one of the top five clubs in America last year (Rolling Stone). The
ladies from Avon Faire Andriette Redman and Kath Green will sing with me and there
is that beautiful grand piano. January is shite really, come for a bit of luxury
and brighten up the centre of this murky month, the new seating arrangement is brilliant
there, and the new sound system.
And to end with a riddle; A Father and Son get into a car crash, the Father dies
and the Son gets rushed to the Hospital. The Surgeon comes in to operate, and upon
seeing the patient says “I can’t operate on this boy, he is my Son”
Come to Joe’s Pub and I’ll give you the answer, that’s if you
can’t figure it out yourself. You can book HERE
Happy New Year - it is your year.
I still love you as much as the Sun Moon and Stars - because that’s who you are xxx
January 17th:
Joe's Pub
, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003. Doors at 6 p.m.,
Show at 7 p.m. Box Office: 212-967-7555 or click HERE.
March 7th: An Beal Bocht Cafe,
445 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463
April 17th & 18th:
Irish
Arts Center
, 553 West 51 Street, New York, NY 10019
I was in my friend's apartment for dinner. "Want to put on some music?"
said she generously, pushing her laptop towards me. So I go to iTunes. It wants
the password. She can't remember it (I can never remember mine either, besides,
because I use it in Ireland too, it has become suspicious of me, cos of the different
currency, so I've given up fighting it). She asks her ten year old "What's
the password?" After trying several, we fail to impress (that's what happens
with me).
I try Youtube and find a concert of Linda Ronstadt singing Mexican songs - that
should be nice quiet dinner music. "You need to install the latest Adobe flash!!!"
(that's what my one says also). We download it, and go back, it says "You
need to download the latest adobe flash" (that's what my one says too,
even when it's sitting there on my desktop).
After a good half hour of fluting around, I just give up and settle for fresh air
as accompaniment to our meal. If you have a similar experience, let me tell you
about this amazing invention that I have in my apartment. It's a box with
a drawer that comes sliding out, when you press the button, in it I can put a disc
(I have numerous discs, some really really good ones). I close the drawer and press
a button, and out comes this beautiful big stereo sonic sound. At the blink
of an eye I can take that disc off and change for another. I am not kidding here!
it exists.
R U coming to Joe's Pub this Saturday? You can book
HERE
or phone their box office at 212.967.7555. After Joe's we are going
to the Scratcher for a drink - just around the corner at 209 east 5th Street (I'll
bring my laptop if you fancy having a look at it).
I look forward to hanging out with you. I love you more than I love installing Adobe
updates.
Pierce xxx
January 17th:
Joe's Pub
, 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003. Doors at 6 p.m.,
Show at 7 p.m. Box Office: 212-967-7555 or click HERE.
March 7th: An Beal Bocht Cafe,
445 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463
April 17th & 18th:
Irish
Arts Center
, 553 West 51 Street, New York, NY 10019
Spring shall be sprung - gigs galore (it’s exhausting, just thinking
about it). Just look at them all!
An Béal Bocht,
March 7th, 6.30 p.m.
The renowned cosy back room at the Beal Bocht in the Bronx with
a real piano, food and drink, run by people that love music and art (that’s
why they booked me!). This is always a great gig and starts early - doors at 6.30,
gig at 7.00 445 W 238th St, Bronx, NY 10463, Phone: (718) 884-7127
The Harp, 3 Sunday
Services on March 15th, 19th and 22nd at 5 p.m.
Everyone loved this place, with it’s great upstairs room
looking out over 3rd Avenue, a real piano, and special guests Andriette Redman and
Kath Green, singing beautiful back up vocals. Great food, lovely management,
Jim will bring his 98 year old Mom. Come and have yer Sunday meal with a pint, you
will leave with a smile. After the set I will jump behind the bar at Bruce’s
behest and serve some free pints. 729 3
rd
ave between 45th
and 46th Phone: 2
12-818-0123
The Irish
Arts Cent
er,
April 17th and 18th
A grand piano will be brought in for this occasion.
553
West 51 Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 866-811-4111
Ireland - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin, May 12th
It was well overblown by the media - just an average snowstorm.
All the supermarkets had lines around the block - no snow shovels left or snow blowers,
no salt. Lines around the corner at the wine stores - I even went to our lazy corner
shop for a couple of beers and there was a line from the bananas all the way around
the fridge aisle past the cabbage and the beer on past the brillo pads and the sandwich
bar to the two sweating cashiers - unheard of! I have never paid much attention
to the weather, but lately the weather forecasters are dominating my skyline. We
are obsessed with them, and ye know why of course, they are predicting the future
(supposedly)! Therefore, we believe that they are helping us to control our lives.
And, like a great big rainstorm that we try to fend off with our houses and hats,
the ‘unknown’ circles around us constantly. Anyone who offers us a way
to predict the “unknown’s” next move has got our attention. In
fact, if you can fabricate a way of convincing people that you are capable of this,
you can become very rich. That’s ‘money’ rich, of course. If you
want the other kind of wealth - ‘wisdom’ - then you will see the unknown
as exciting and ripe with opportunity. That’s where the real magic lives,
no disappointments, no expectations. Always capable of accepting what comes. This
kind of thinking would put the weather forecasters out of business.
I love you more than tomorrow. Pierce xx
Oh and BTW please book ahead for these gigs, I have to pay for the petrol.
At last, old man winter has taken his heavy overcoat, sheep skin gloves, 10 ft woollen
scarf, and 10 ft grey beard, off to his cave, where he will sleep until November.
He is so, so tired, he has exhausted us and himself. Blowing cold air for
weeks on end, and just when we thought he was done, he started again! Hiding
the sun with dark pregnant clouds, burying the cars and freezing the stars. Blocking
the roads, even subways were closed. He did fierce destruction, caused a hell
of a ruction. His mood was dire, pushing us all towards the fire. All I can
say is listen, maybe it's all out of his system, we certainly won't miss
him.
Hello to the Angels of bird- singing April.
These are my last NY gigs before I go to Ireland for May - looks like this Sunday
will be a blast: I have even dusted off "Carrigfergus" with Avon Faire.
I need you more than ever, and love you even better. xxxx Pierce.
New York
The Harp, 3 Sunday
Services on March 15th, 19th and 22nd at 5 p.m.
Less bog and more beat at our own St Patricks Day gig at the Harp next Sunday at
5pm-March 15th -fine food, wine, spirits and beer.
The Harp presents The Pierce
Turner Sunday Service (with special guests vocalists Avon Faire) Spring is
here - last chance to hear this for a while.
729 3rd ave between 45th
and 46th Phone: 212-818-0123
The Irish
Arts Center
, April 17th and 18th
A grand piano will be brought in for this occasion.
553 West 51 Street, New
York, NY 10019 Phone: 866-811-4111
Ireland
May 2nd - The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre,
Naul, Co. Dublin
May 8th -
Coughlans
Live
, Cork
May 12th - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin
June 5th - Wexford Arts Centre,
Wexford
Well we’re shopping around the book presentation, just one at a time. The
first publishers to get it, looked at it for a long time, they are probably the
biggest of the lot. The revered Irish writer Joseph O’Connor (Sinead’s
brother) read some of the stories and liked them enough to introduce and recommend
me to this company. Anyway, after a good while they said no, in the nicest way possible.
Now we are on to number two. Apparently Harry Potter was turned down by 25 publishers
before it was accepted. She is a hell of a Woman that she didn’t chuck it
in at fifteen. And because of her, we now have a different barometer for failure.
One turn down is chicken shit, nothing! I have 24 to go!! I’m just starting
out. If I start to get depressed around 17 or 18 though, remind me of this will
ye?
Next Sunday will be number 2 of three Sunday Services at the Harp - this really
is a spectacular setting with those amazing windows looking out on to Third Avenue.
I feel very inspired when I play there and am inclined to feel free enough to wander
into new places. We are starting a little later cos of daylight savings time - so
it’s doors at 5.30 and gig at 6 p.m. - please come and show me your love,
I’ll show you mine. And afterwards you will be all refreshed to face the following
week. One minute more, then I’ll have what I need, it’s becoming quite
clear, I could clinch the great deed, with just a little more time.
Warning - this letter was written with a St Pats day hangover, I got drunk by mistake!
I love you as much as I don’t love this hangover Pxxxx
New York
The Harp, Sunday Services
on March 22nd and 29th at 5.30 p.m.
Harp presents The Pierce Turner Sunday Service (with special guests vocalists Avon
Faire) Spring is here - last chance to hear this for a while.
729 3rd ave between 45th and 46th Phone: 212-818-0123
The Irish
Arts Center
, April 17th and 18th
A grand piano will be brought in for this occasion.
553 West 51 Street, New York,
NY 10019 Phone: 866-811-4111
Ireland
May 2nd - The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre,
Naul, Co. Dublin
May 8th -
Coughlans
Live
, Cork
May 12th - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin
June 5th - Wexford Arts Centre,
Wexford
I am sitting in my Kitchen on First Avenue just around the corner to the buildings
that collapsed yesterday here in the East Village. Sirens criss cross my ears from
one window to the other, a helicopter rattles overhead. Second Avenue is closed
from 14th Street all the way down to Houston, that’s fourteen blocks. Last
night I went to the church over on 22nd Street where I’m planning to record
my new album. On my way back down
Second Avenue, the
police were everywhere, some
wearing masks! I thought “Jasus, they need masks! What about us?” Looking
ahead along the Avenue, even in the dark, the smoke still seemed to add density
and drama, this was about nine o clock. I mean it happened at three thirty. Silhoutted
heads, all makes, shapes and sizes, were crammed together in the distant fog like
a mass exodus to nowhere. Bopping up and down they walked away from me - way off
far - where were they going? I turned left and went home, where Clare had all the
windows closed because there was a warning flashing in red at the bottom the T.V:
“CLOSE ALL YOUR WINDOWS….DON’T GO OUT UNLESS YOU HAVE TO…IF
YOU ARE EXPERIENCING CHEST PAIN…DON’T BREATHE!! Something like that.
Today they tell us that three buildings collapsed from a gas explosion. Right next
to my barber! I wasn’t here for 9/11, nor was I here for Hurricane Sandy,
or the great blackout a few Summers ago that saw hordes of people roaming the streets
in the silent dark. But when I add all of these events up, unrelated and all, it
does feel like there is lot of mass disturbances around here. Perhaps it’s
time (again) to tell everybody I’m gone away for ten years. Or make an album
that sends a healing message across the planet, think that’s what I’ll
do. I’m such a bleeding heart romantic! My Pledge campaign starts soon for
this album, I hope you don’t mind, and I hope you are as kind..as the last
time.
Last Sunday at the Harp was totally sublime! If you live in America (well N.Y. ish)
you simply MUST come down, or up, or over, whatever - we’re not going to live
forever ye know. Bruce had me hop behind the Bar again, and I gave away a lot of
free drinks. This is the last Sunday for a while. It will break my heart if you
are not there. Now, I’m off to buy a mask.
Love you more than beans on toast. Pierce xxx
Sunday March 29th doors 5;30 gig 6pm at the Harp 3rd Ave bet 45 and 46; Phone: 212-818-0123
The Irish
Arts Center
, April 17th and 18th
A grand piano will be brought in for this occasion.
553 West 51 Street, New York,
NY 10019 Phone: 866-811-4111
Ireland
May 2nd - The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre,
Naul, Co. Dublin
May 8th -
Coughlans
Live
, Cork
May 12th - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin
June 5th - Wexford Arts Centre,
Wexford
The show at the
Irish Arts Center
in Manhattan is just around the corner (I’m spelling
CENTER the way it is spelt in the logo) Friday April 17th and Saturday April 18th.
My good friend and ex-musical partner Larry Kirwan is joining me on the 17th to
sing the title song of Turner and Kirwan Of Wexford’s only official album
“Absolutely and Completely”. We haven’t sung this song together
since it was played all over NY radio for weeks on end in the Year of our Lord.
At this point in our lives it just feels right, and there is a Grand Piano, which
is what this song needs. I know it will be special for me anyhow, and I have always
got keep myself on my toes. Also joining me on both nights is my brother Fred Parcells
on bone and vocals, and the amazing Avon Faire, Kath Green and Andriette Redman
on vocals. The reason why you have to come is: it will be different! It’s
a real theatre with lights that will be actually rehearsed and designed. These people
believe in me, my songs and my stories, enough to give me two of their most precious
nights on a weekend. Twill be good for you, a night in the Theatre!! Read about
it this week in the New York Irish Echo. They are so excited they are running it
next week again.
After these shows, I’m off to Ireland for a wee tour, listed below. The big
deal there is the
National Concert Hall
on May 12th. This is a Tuesday night, a night that
always needs help to pass in a painless fashion. This is such a special venue with
excellent sound, I hope to see all my Irish friends out in their capes and dicky
bows. You know my Philosophy in life is to take your time and as I have said many
times “Don’t surge on full speed to your own tombstones”. Well
ignore that information when it comes to these shows - please surge!!! Or I will
be scared to death, and that’s my tombstone, not yours.
I love you more when you come to my shows xx
Pierce
The Irish
Arts Center
, April 17th and 18th
A grand piano will be brought in for this occasion.
553 West 51 Street, New York,
NY 10019 Phone: 866-811-4111
Ireland
May 2nd - The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre,
Naul, Co. Dublin
May 8th -
Coughlans
Live
, Cork
May 12th - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin
June 5th - Wexford Arts Centre,
Wexford
Well I’m back in Ireland! So far the sunny days have outnumbered the rainy
ones. It can change fast though. Yesterday morning I set out on a beautiful bright
sunny day for my first run on Curracloe Beach. As I was crossing the new bridge
(1965), I noticed a tiny yellow gas pump icon lighted on the dashboard, running
my eyes to the left I came upon an incremented guage with its needle comfortably
settled in the red. Of course I hadn’t brought my wallet, so back home I went
to get some money. I ran in, grabbed the wallet admiring the glorious sunshine beaming
upon our front garden, got back in the car and headed back across the bridge towards
the beach. Because the petrol was perilously low, I pulled in to the first gas station
I came across. I only bought ten Euro worth because I hadn’t tested my Irish
Bank card yet, and Irish Banks have a way of making you feel like it’s not
really your money, the customer is always wrong is their motto. So I had enough
cash to cover it, should there be a problem. I stuck the card into the machine upside
down, and the young girl serving, corrected it for me. I stood there waiting.
“You have to put your pin in now” she giggled. “Oh Jasus, what’s
my pin?” I panicked out loud, a couple of customers behind me now. “I’ve
just got back from America” I pleaded, ready to spill out my entire life story
in pursuit of pity. “Ah you’re alright, no bother, take your time”
She consoled. I stabbed the first number that came to mind into the tiny device
and nothing happened. She swiveled it towards her and jabbed the green “enter”
button with her tiny pink nailed finger. “Oh” I blushed “Of course”
continuing in my “don’t mind me I’m a right buffoon, just off
the plane with jet lag” mode, which wasn’t entirely inaccurate. But
at least now I knew that the card worked, so I took a quick look around the shop
to see if there was anything else that I needed. Bread? No not really. Milk, tea,
newspaper, hummus? I spun around on my heels surveying the bizarre mixture of sundries
designed to keep a person going until they got to the supermarket, and trash snacks
to shut up a cranky stomach. But the little machine had already spat out my receipt,
and the young attendant had said. “Now, thanking you, next please”.
If I went back with something else now, it would seem like I had just discovered
there was money in my bank account and that I was going to grab all that I could
while the going was good. So I sheepishly (and mistakenly) slipped out the In door
as someone else entered. My car shone in the sun all ready to take me for my run,
I gazed off towards my destination to the east, and it was like a line was drawn
across the land about a mile before me. On this side the sun beamed, and on that
side the darkest most foreboding clouds spilled their grey insides into the bushes
and briars along the horizon; way off into the deep distance, certainly pouring
down upon the beach. It was winter over there, and spring over here. Just like that!
It’s a small country, the weather travels fast. I went to the supermarket
to get some real groceries, and a nice bottle of rosé.
This is a very short tour, from Naul (this weekend, truly warm venue, with great
people) to Cork (the best intimate venue in this great City) to the National Concert
Hall, where I will launch the Pledge campaign for my next album. They are
all weekend gigs, except the National Concert Hall in Dublin, that’s going
to be a very special night, the sound there is superb, and I will debut three new
songs from the album. People are asking me will there be another Dublin date,
and I’m sorry to say that there won’t. So come to this one please,
I’ve come all the way from America to see you and I've had to learn (again)
the difference between petrol and gas, and faucets and taps. Imagine having fun
on a Tuesday! The tour finishes at the Wexford Arts Centre on June 5th (the place
where all the stories come from). It looks like these will be my only Irish dates
this year unfortunately. When I get back to New York, there will be fun in
the sun at the Harp for 3 Sundays with the roof open on July 12, 19th and 26th at
7p.m.
I love you more than the Orange coloured sun down by the sea. Pierce xx
Ireland
May 2nd -
The Seamus Ennis
Arts Centre
, Naul, Co. Dublin
May 8th -
Coughlans Live
, Cork
May 12th - the
National Concert Hall
, Dublin
June 5th - Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Pierce Turner: Pledge to Preorder My New Album on PledgeMusic
Hi there!
I'm here to ask for your help as I begin to make my next album. I want to do this because I still believe in the concept of an album, a body of work that takes you on a musical journey like a novel or a movie. And like a great novel or movie, a great album can stay with you for a lifetime.
I have something extra uplifting in mind for this album. I have found a jewel hidden among the skyscrapers of Manhattan, a small church built by the same man that created the Metropolitan Opera House. It has great acoustics, but even greater instruments - a Baldwin Grand Piano, a Harpsichord and a full pipe organ. Pastor Chris (a beautiful man) heard me perform there in a Christmas special and is allowing me full access to record my new album there. I want to bring you along for the making of this. I have a 20 Euro note stuck to my fridge that someone paid for a CD with, on it they wrote "there's a lot of love in your music". The goodness of this environment should only help to capture that elusive love. Playing this organ truly excites me, and that's how the special songs come about.
I'm teaming with PledgeMusic once again to release this album - so many people supported me greatly through my last campaign. Through the changing music industry, I have been in and out of different labels and experiences. When I found PledgeMusic I finally found somewhere that was a perfect fit for me, my music, and most importantly, my supporters. By pre-ordering my new album here, you will have access to exclusive updates that I will be posting so you can experience the album as it is made. There are some cool exclusives that you can subscribe to and treasures from my history in music that you can own - just click on the icon below to take you straight to the project on the Pledge site. Also, every pre-order comes with a digital download of the album, which I'll send out as soon as its ready!
I'm in Ireland at the moment to do some gigs to launch the Pledge campaign. Hopefully I'll see you in Cork on May 8th, Dublin on May 12th or Wexford on June 5th - click on the links for booking details.
During my last release on PledgeMusic I promised that I would not short-change you
with my music and I hold that promise true. Join me as we do this again together.
Cheers, Pierce
This is just a quick note to say a big thank you to the many generous fans that have dug deep and gotten the Pledge Music fundraising campaign to 23% of its goal already after only a few days. Please continue to spread the word and please support it if you can by clicking on the link on the left below and checking out the wide range of exclusives. I've also got some gigs coming up (details on the right below), so I'd love to see you at one of those - I'll be debuting 3 new songs at the National Concert Hall.
There's been some good media coverage of the Pledge Music campaign and the gigs - on the Blue of the Night show on RTE Lyric FM, on RTE, the Irish Times and the Wexford People . On Monday May 11th I'll be a guest on the John Murray Show on RTE Radio 1 between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. (Dublin time).
I'm up to my eyes, but I'm remaining calm.
Love, Pierce3 years ago, I played at SXSW in Austin Texas. Between shows I had been invited by the boss of my ex-label Beggars Banquet (Martin Mills) to attend the performance for one of his 4AD bands. They were performing out in the open with the audience all seated on the grassy hillside. After the show, my wife Clare and I went for a beer at another section of the field which was cordoned off for the festival. We stood drinking the beer next to a packed Marquee where there was a performance going on. My ears cocked up at the thick fruity organ sound and soulful vocal emanating from it. I went over closer, and there was this guy sitting at the keys backed by electric guitar and percussion - I fell in love with the sound instantly and had to know who it was. Later I discovered it was James Blake. When I found him on YouTube the first track (his most popular, and commercial one) I heard didn't sound like what I had heard that day to me. But then I found his "Live at the BBC" tracks and there it was again, that magical deep brooding rich quality - my favourite track was "The Willhelm Scream". I often just jam on it to warm my heart, there are very few words, so it wasn't hard. I hope you like it, that's Albert the cat over in the corner, I just did this yesterday in Wexford. I hope you like it.
Thanks again for your Pledges of support for my new album. If you can help, I'd really appreciate it - the new album can be yours for as little as $10, with some cool exclusives if you're able to dig deeper. Just click on the link below.
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The Eclectic Light Programme: Interview: Pierce Turner (22/5/2015) | KCLR 96FM
5/25/2015
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Hi there
This is just a quick note to thank all of you that have pledged so far in the crowdfunding
campaign for my forthcoming album. I want to keep you updated with my plans for
the album. A few days ago, I posted a clip of one of the songs - "Mary from Drumcondra"
- to the Pledge Music site: pledgers can access it via the link at the bottom left.
I've also posted another clip of a new song - "Gone Gone" to Youtube. Just click
on the link at the bottom right, where you'll also hear about the inspiration behind
the song.
I've reached just over half of the amount I need to record the album. The momentum
has been great, and I'd love to keep it going. There's just over 6 weeks left to
raise the remaining amount - if the money isn't raised, the existing pledges are
returned and the album doesn't get made. So your support is vital, and will be gratefully
received!
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We were in Ireland on tour with my old band The Major Thinkers, rushing along O'Connell
Street with Larry Kirwan, Peter Collins and Hammy (Thomas Hamlin) the drummer. Hammy
fell behind for a moment as we dodged our way through the luncheon traffic, then
he came running up to tell us with great amusement that a fella had hit him up for
some money, he had told him that he was in a hurry, to which the man quickly replied
"I'll be quick!" (Hammy does an hilarious Irish accent). We giggled our way along
to our destiny.
So I'll be quick too as I hit you up to support my next album. And also as I tell
you that I have one more show in Ireland, in my hometown of Wexford on June 5th,
where all the stories began. They will ring through extra well there, believe me.
If you choose to give me a hand with this campaign, which will allow me to make
a new album, you should know that it's risk-free. You get your money back if it
doesn't reach the target (but it's at 60% so I'm hopeful we will get there). However,
the album won't get made unless we reach the target. The old business model of a
Record Company doing all this doesn't exist for me anymore. The Pledge site is completely
secure I promise you, that's why I am doing this with them.
We did get off to a flying start, but it's slowing down a little of late. So if
you have been moving at 3 Minute World (leisurely) pace, perhaps I can encourage
you to be a little quicker, like that man on O'Connell Street back then in 1984.
I love you with the precision of George Orwell's prediction.
Pierce xxx
PS: Click on the link below for my cover version of a Madonna classic. My new album
might give further clues as to the extent of Madonna's influence on my work - or
it might not! You'll only find the answer if you support the album :-)
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6/15/2015
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Colin Murnane took this great photo of me at my recent gig in the Wexford Arts Centre. |
When it came to thinking of things to offer as incentives for pledges in my fundraising campaign, I thought I had thought of everything. But I thought wrong.
A few emails ago, I uploaded a video of one of the new songs - "Gone Gone" - in which I explained how it had been inspired by watching a Joe Dolan video on Youtube. Someone saw it and, being a big fan of Joe Dolan, promised me an extra pledge if I covered a Joe Dolan song and uploaded it. So here it is, recorded at my Wexford gig last week.
We did get off to a flying start, but it's slowing down a little of late. So if
you have been moving at 3 Minute World (leisurely) pace, perhaps I can encourage
you to be a little quicker, like that man on O'Connell Street back then in 1984.
So if you have any requests for unusual or exotic cover versions, or creative ideas that will help you pledge for my new album, please let me know! I'm open-minded (I promise!)
Love, Pierce
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6/22/2015
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Taken by Padraig Grant at the Spiegeltent in Wexford in 2013 |
Paul Darby put me up to it. "Why don't you sing Oh Ireland any more?" "I don't really know, maybe it didn't work any more" "It's an awful shame, especially when you're in Ireland, the words are so appropriate" "Are they?" I said I didn't think I could.
The next day, of course, when rehearsing and wanting to try something new "Oh Ireland" came to mind. Had I ever tried it on the Piano, I wondered. So I gave it a go and,filled with new inspiration (probably because someone had said something good about the song), it seemed to fall into a very comfortable groove on the piano. It was a song from the album "3 Minute World" an album that we had run out of and now replenished with a fresh pressing. This video is a live performance from my recent Wexford gig on June 5th. I explained to the audience, that the song had come from my experience of flying over Ireland on the way to London from New York when I was signed to Beggars Banquet Records, at the time a successful Indie label, now it's a huge label - even signing Adele. Because the flights coming in off the Atlantic cross over the South East of Ireland n their way to London, the pilot would sometimes mention what was below. It was a little frustrating to think of Wexford being just down there, early morning, my parents would be having breakfast in the odd-shaped kitchen on the Quay (home made brown bread and sharp Wexford cheddar washed down by strong tea) - more precious moments of our time on Earth without being in each others company. My father would be opening the door to let Sputnik out for his day of long far-off wanderings and furious battles over territory with dogs of a similar disposition - "house angels, street devils". If it was summer, I envisioned the beaches of Rosslare and the seemingly hotsummers, embellished by amnesia. If it was Winter, I envisioned Christmas and the fairy lights swinging across the main street like clothes lines being battered by the river wind. When I finally wrote a set of lyrics that described this feeling, I found myself wanting the verse to be accompanied by a chant that exemplified my love of Gregorian and Plain chant from early childhood, for this song is really about childhood.
I end this with a soft nudge, and for this I apologise. I have only 20 days to raise the last 30% of the Pledge campaign - please pass the word along if you've already pledged yourself: I know there are some well-wishers meaning to do what they plan on doing, when they get a chance, after they just do the next couple of, two three five things. The uncertainty of this campaign has left me with a knot of tension like you'd feel on the morning of a Wexford-Kilkenny hurling match - and you know how they can turn out!
I love you as much as Plain Chant and Chips.
Pierce xxx
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Celebrate reaching the Pledge Goal with me at the Harp this Sunday July 12th.
New York City July 6, 2015. (it's hot) We celebrated July 4th up on our roof looming
high above First Avenue. At Nine O'Clock the fireworks shot up above the East
River to our right, and all along the rooftops people from the adjoining buildings
spread out picnics and sipped chilled wine from their glasses. Suddenly a multi-coloured
square drone lifted up from the roof next to ours and rose way up into the grey
war clouds of the night sky, remnants of a dirty day. In what seemed like no time
at all, it was up high and far away, someone said 23rd Street (we're on 11th). It
was flying into the fireworks, there it was way out there on its own, a tiny little
object with coloured fluorescent lights. It seemed like a little animal facing up
to the massive sparkled hoops and dripping cascades of caramel coloured stardust,
booming subsonic explosions, and carnival kaleidoscopes. It was as if it was saying
"I'm with them down there on that little roof".
And in front of me four silhouetted people sat at a table on another Hopper brick
building, this one elevated above the rest with a slight slant, they looked like
paper cut-outs as the colours changed from red to green and blue exploding sand
behind them. I took out my iPhone and had to use the moment to thank you for
pledging your hard earned cash towards my next album. I didn't want anyone to see
me, I was a little embarrassed, but how could I pass by this moment, with this fireworks
exhibition that cost a fortune being provided as a backdrop for free. We can make
big things for a small price, and that's what I hope to do with the belief you have
instilled in me with your hard earned support. Here is that video, it cudda been
better, but it couldn't have had better intentions. I am so grateful.
And if you are in New York this Sunday July 12th we will celebrate reaching the
100% goal with Pledge at the
Harp Raw Bar &
Grill
at 729 Third Ave, New York at 6 p.m., for the first of 3 weekly Sunday
gigs. The singers (Kath and Andriette) from Avon Faire will be there and the
roof will be open to the July sky. We will do all the "Best of's" and some new songs
from the forthcoming album - after the set I will hop behind the bar and give out
free drinks!! What's not to like? There will be a full page article in the Irish
Echo this week. Please tell everybody. And by the way, the Pledge campaign
is still open, hopefully we will go way above the goal like that tiny drone.
I love you more than air conditioning.
Pierce xxx
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4th of July up on the roof |
I've been living in the East Village now for the better part of my life. And yet
I know very few people by name from this neighborhood. Still I do… know them. Here,
I have seen teenagers grow up into adults and then disappear. Businesses that were
around from the turn of the century fold and newer ones open and close, some after
decades, some within a year. I have seen normal-looking young men from seemingly
good Italian or Eastern European families, go from step to step with each passing
year, from soft white complexion to bristle and shadow, from Coca Cola to Beer and
sometimes from there, tragically, to serious drug addiction. Some get through it
and some die. In most cases I wouldn't know that they died of course, but it's not
hard to believe the worst once you you've heard a couple of horror tales through
the pipeline. And if you see them flopping around for a few years, then disappearing
for good, they've gone somewhere! I can't imagine it's to an aunt in Montana somehow.
Just the other day I held the door open for the daughter of an elderly Italian lady
that lives upstairs. We had a short discussion about her mother "how old is she
now?" (thinking she was ancient) "Actually she'll be 82 next month" she declared
with a ‘how about that' smile (I thought she was about ten years north of that).
I had seen the daughter pretty much grow up in this building, raised by her single
mother (I had never been aware of a father figure). They were always a quiet family,
and lived here through all the changes from a half empty building looking for tenants,
to that vacuum being filled by dodgy drug dealers, to Yuppie political types instigating
rent strikes, to where it is today - part of the N.Y. University rent boom, which
has driven the rent of these tenements up beyond all reasonable value. She and I
had never really spoken to each other, other than to say a neighborly hi on the
landing. Then one Summer evening back in the 80's she was at the Schaeffer Music
Festival in Central Park to see Cyndi Lauper when she noticed Larry Kirwan and I
in the opening band The Major Thinkers (Larry and I had shared this apartment at
the time) - she was there with her husband to be. The next day she stopped me to
share her surprise as I descended the stairs with the garbage. After that I got
to know them better. Her slightly older brother Sandy stopped me one day too "Hey
my Sis saw you guys at the Schaeffer Music Festival, how about that, so you'se guys
musicians?" He had a Saturday Night Fever Wardrobe and hairstyle, and it turned
out that he had a small speaking part in the Movie too "How'ye doon Tony" I suppose
that was why I never saw much of Sandy in the building - he was going out to Brooklyn
to dance.
I suppose we will go on like this forever, guessing how each other is doing, based
on a handful of small clues. We will all go away one day and never come back, and
someone else will take our apartments. The double decker buses will continue to
look into my 2nd floor window and instead of seeing me in my underpants, they will
see someone else. But before that I have things to do and places to go. And you
and I should see each other as much as we can before then. Time flies when you don't
know what you're doing. One final show in Manhattan this summer - come over to the
Harp at Five O'Clock, have a nice cold cocktail in a cool air-conditioned room with
a view of the summer light without the humidity. As we perform the daylight will
dim and the stage lights will hue - just like the Schaeffer Music Festival.
July 19th at the Harp, with special guests
Avon Faire singing back up: doors at 5 p.m., gig at 6 p.m. Food is served too.
My mother opened her first shop when I was about nine. We had just moved down to the Wexford quay front into an old merchant house with three storeys and a shop underneath it. My father just came along and kept his day job. It was my first taste of commerce; Molly (whose last name was Roche) was from an entrepreneurial family.
The first business was a grocery shop, beans and tomatoes, that kind of thing, and ICE CREAM!! There were six kids in my family and the idea of having control of a fridge with blocks of ice cream in it was breathtaking. It was not a profitable business. The second attempt was, though! It was a second-hand clothes shop called Molly Roche. My mother's maiden name was quite famous because her father (Jem Roche) had fought for the world heavyweight title.
Wexford is an agricultural area and farmers like to wear a suit, shirt and tie with their wellingtons. Naturally they didn't want a new suit, so they came in their droves to our shop for a second-hand one. My Mother knew that the majority of them were not skinny, so she kept a big stock of outsize suits, it was a gold mine, and I hated it. In my thirteen-year-old stupidity, I found it embarrassing. A couple of years later, I convinced her to turn it into a record shop. She liked that I had the business flair, so being the great force that she was, she encouraged me. It only led me to being a musician, which she was also delighted with, because that was her own first love. And that led me to this; my new shop front, my new website, which we are launching today.
My mother would be pleased with the concept of a cyber shop-front; she would hope we have what you need of course. It's still brand new and will be lacking in something I'm sure, but I believe it will be easy to navigate, and that's the first priority. It features a new blog that I am writing about living in the East Village - "Monday Morning Milk" - it will come to you with the milkman every week. They will be one page blogs, short stories of stuff that happen here in this overactive beehive. I hope they will tickle you.
It's imperative that I mention the people that have been so helpful to me on my website journey. The first site was by New Ross man Tom Kirwan (c 1996) and then Brian O'Driscoll with Michael Carroll guided the ship for years: Brian (who is a very successful architect and huge music lover) designed and maintained it beautifully. This new site is being championed by Michael Quilligan. I am extremely grateful to them all.
This cyber shop will be crucial for me to sell my own wares, and stay afloat, and it will be open for business before you go Christmas shopping. Please take your friends there. I officially smash a champagne bottle against its fire escape, you are launched baby!
Love Pierce xx
We're mixing the tracks right now for then new album, and so far what we have is
excellent. I want to thank you all for your patience and as a way of making it up
to you, all pledgers will receive 5 bonus tracks through Pledge Music as downloads.
Three of them you will not have heard before at all, some of you will not know any
of them. You will know "Julie London" (maybe) as it was a single,
but got lost in the noise. It's one of my faves - when we were recording it, we
also recorded "Word from the Wind". You can hear the similarities
in the sound and the instrumentation, with the famous Knox Chandler on guitar and
Van Romaine on drums, Michael Golub engineering. I would be proud to put either
of these tracks on an album.
"Future Dwellers" is a home demo that I think I wrote around the
financial crisis - there is something that I like about it, but didn't think it
would fit on my albums. That happens (a lot, really). "Never Really Here"
is a track that was fully recorded for "Songs for a Verry Small Orchestra" and didn't
fit in the end. "All We Want for Christmas" is a Christmas
song that I did for charity a while back. I was in Wexford a lot at the time and
my friend Mick Egan had a little studio around the corner, I wrote this about the
whole X Factor stuff when they audition (and abuse) talentless people who just want
to be famous - they don't feel anything other than their personality is necessary,
just that want! The song started small and just got bigger and bigger - in the end
we used a 40 piece male choir from Wexford "The Wexford Male Voice Choir" and members
of a popular vocal group called Valda. Mick Egan (a tireless enthusiast) hauled
his studio to the choir's rehearsal room on a cold dark Monday night and, with Ger
Lawlor conducting, we captured their intro.
I hope you enjoy these tracks, and thank you so much for your support. If you have
already pledged for the album, you'll have received an email from Pledge Music with
a link to the campaign page on Pledge where you can download them. If you haven't
pledged already but want to get these tracks as well as the new album, you can click
on the link below.
Just to reiterate, the new album " Love Can't Always Be Articulate" is to be released
March 1st - I will mail you all your incentives (T shirts, CD's lyrics etc) before
that. Don't forget to share the weekly blog "Monday Morning Milk" about living in the
crazy East Village. I'll also be participating in the First Songs of the Season
event on December 5th at the Gustavus Adolphus church in Manhattan, where I recorded
the new album. I hope to sing some songs from the album - you can get more information
here.
Pierce x
The other day my doorbell rang and I almost didn't answer it. Lately there are all
kinds of people living in this building, and they seem to know that I'm one of the
few people here during the daytime, so they ring my doorbell to get in. I was in
the front of the house, a full apartment away from the buzzer in the kitchen and
I responded with scepticism at first. But I relented and buzzed them in anyway.
I opened my door and shouted with authority down to the ground floor.
"Who is it?"
I heard a mumble
"$%&*&^%$" and then heard a thump.
I ran downstairs and there they were; a large cardboard box with my new CD in it.
I dragged it upstairs and opened to see, to my absolute delight they were exactly
the way I pictured them. Vermillion in Dublin have done a beautiful job on the cover,
it looks as good as the sound Roman Klun got in that church.
On Saturday night I played the entire album live for a select audience in my apartment,
the place was jammed, and I believe it was clear that there's something about this
album that affected all that were there.
If you visit my site HERE, you can listen to 90 second clips of
each track to give you an idea what it sounds like. It dawns on me that there are
still a lot of people on this mailing list that didn't pledge, and might just simply
want to buy the CD. And if I could convince you to buy it from me, it would
give the album a great beginning and help provide me with a budget to promote it.
You can buy it on my website
HERE
. And, don't forget, there'll be a launch gig on March 12th - details
HERE.
Love to you from the noisy city - by the way this may be my first real New York
album, where I write about living here. And fittingly recorded it in a church, with
my Irish childhood influences intact.
Pierce x
The launch gig for the new album "Love Can't Always Be Articulate" will take place
on Saturday, March 12th at 7 p.m. at the Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church at 155
East 22nd St in Manhattan (where it was recorded). Just show up - no tickets
required, but donations to the church roof fund welcome. There's a Facebook
event
here
that you can share with your friends.
If you want to be the envy of your fellow gig-goers, you can learn all the new songs
by the buying the new CD
here
and learning the lyrics
here
- we've thought of everything!
If you are in New York or nearby and you have a paltry excuse for not being there,
you are a putz.
But I still love you, Pierce x
David Bowie drank at Puck Fair I am told, he lived just across the street on Lafayette.
Sadly he doesn't drink anywhere now, Puck Fair is not his pub anymore either, and
soon Puck Fair won't be anyone's pub anymore. We will lose it, like we lost
Mr Bowie. I have been commissioned by the owner to hire my string quartet and a
top class sound system to perform there for the last time on Friday March 25th.
My head is still spinning from the performance at the church with the premiere of
the new album last Saturday night. For the last six weeks at least, I have been
rehearsing with the musicians at any time that they were available. Sometimes the
organist Nic alone, or just Fred on trombone and Nic, with Andriette, Kath and John
in my apartment separately, and occasionally with everyone at the church, scribbling
out changes in the organists parts, fixing time signatures and tweaking up to the
last moment. Getting the girls to sing the uileann pipe parts, which they did brilliantly.
Borrowing lights and gels to create the right atmosphere on the night with Kath
hugely helping. Asking plenty of lots of people, all pro bono of course, as this
was a benefit too for the stained glass ceiling: we raised $2500 - thank you! And
on Saturday March 12th, the crowd poured in past Deacon John and his wife as they
volunteered the door, the other Deacon John Ogren introduced us and we shone like
a new pin as we launched into our first song "Life's a Gas".
Right away it felt right, the beautiful acoustics encouraged us to ring out notes
in a subtler way than we may have ever. And I could even see the silhouettes of
people seated in the ancient iron seats lined in twos along the periphery of the
wood-crafted low-cut balcony, something I am told has not been seen in many a year.
And the response all the way down to the final standing ovation was genuinely enthusiastic.
It was a glorious experience, and I want to do it again right away. Martin Mills
from Beggars Banquet was there and said he was amazed that a whole set of new songs
felt like a "Best of". He said that it brought back memories of the first time he
popped my demo cassette into his car stereo in 1985 back in London - that feeling
of liking every song equally, and finding none inferior. So "Love Can't Always Be
Articulate" feels like it's got something right about it, something very right I
hope. I am so grateful to all who helped with that show.
But before I nail down the line-up for rehearsals and make sure the arrangements
are legible to Josh Johnston the organist for the premiere at the Irish church gigs,
I have to switch hats for the finale of Puck Fair here in New York, get out all
the string quartet arrangements and dust them off: "Say you don't mind", "God only
knows", "Snakes and Ladders", "Not a bad day for a Wednesday", "Thunderstorm", "Wicklow
Hills", "Manana in Manhattan" and so on. "Here Comes The Night", "Mr Smith": yikes
- this will be fun. I have three of the original string quartet - Tomas Ulrich
on cello, Julie Goodale on viola, and Caddy Finlayson on violin and Julianne Carney
on violin. So next Wednesday my living room will be filled with string players
as we prepare for Friday at Puck Fair, admission is free, and I want you there,
please come. This and other upcoming gigs in New York, Dublin and Wexford are all
listed here.
And don't forget, you can get the new album - "Love Can't Be Articulate" -
here.
Soon I will begin giving my new album to Irish radio. RTE's Radio One is my best
hope, it's a completely eclectic station, and is for most part motivated by the
quality of the music. I have had a lot of plays on there throughout my career, and
you get paid! So it can be a good thing, a very good thing, be sure to respond when
you hear it please.
I am doing a "Love Can't Always Be Articulate" tour and as much as possible I would
like to perform it in churches, but of course that is not always possible. This
coming Sunday April 17th we will do it at my dear friend Bruce's Bar; The Harp.
Bruce is such a music lover and he has that lovely upstairs room looking out over
3rd Avenue - when I'm performing there I can feel the light on my back. The great
Andriette Redmanne and Kath Green will join me on vocals, and John Rokosny on guitar
- maker of almost all of my videos - and better give Fred Parcells a call too! The
piano will be tuned and we will do some of the songs from the other albums too.
This is the last Manhattan gig for a while, off to Ireland soon after. This is a
truly intimate and magical setting. Food, fine wines, whiskey and beer shall be
made available upon request to all and sundry.
Details of all the gigs are
here
, and you can buy the album here. Also, don't forget my weekly blog
here.
There is a real buzz about this album, people can feel the LOvE – LoVe you's too,
Pierce xxx
And don't forget, you can get the new album - "Love Can't Be Articulate" -
The world is gone mad, lunatics from the right are selling snake oil to the desperate,
who - hoping for a quick cure - are buying their rubbish. Politicians are not entertainers,
they are boring administrators, Hillary might be boring, but she knows how to do
the job better than Trump, and it's just a job. He has no idea what he is stirring
up, or how to do this job, be careful everyone, please.
Had a great house party last night up in Dublin. We were fine once we got over being
lost coming out of Wexford. We had directions intact on how to find the place alright,
but we didn't bring the actual house number. Brian - whose house it was - is not
mad about answering the phone, so I had to guess which house it was. I decided that
it must be the one with the car parked outside that was filled with Peroni beer
cases. And it was.
"You have to bring an oul violin wit ye, all yer songs have a bit of a tune on de
vile-lin"
"OK Brian, that's fine with me, I'll give Larissa O'Grady a call and see if she's
available"
Larissa plays with the National Symphony Orchestra, we've played together before,
some of you may also know her sister Eimear O'Grady (now married to Declan O'Rourke)
- she played cello with me for years, all you fellas used to come just to ogle her.
My friend Mike Raftery came with me to give me a hand and he brought his small PA
with him, small and powerful, we could have blown the walls down. We were there
for about a half hour before Larissa, and when she arrived I sat at the small upright
piano so that she could tune to it. The song was in A, and she seemed in another
key. She thought I was kidding, I thought she was kidding, and then we realised
that the piano was a whole tone flat, she was in A and I was in G. I dropped a lot
of piano tunes from the set.
It was a house full of barristers, Brian is a barrister too! Singing, dancing barristers!
They have about 4 dogs! Brian needed to have a fag on the go the whole time, so
he stood at the farthest reach of the room by the back door with his cigarette hand
outside, singing every word with a voice like a detached trailer being dragged along
bare cement. He was powerful though and made words like "my father's hand upon my
back, the nicotine stained index finger, big and rough, but love, can't always be
articulate" sound twice as profound by joining up with me. Then at the end when
the whole place was up dancing like mad, we were singing "Animal" and the dogs started
barking along, a perfect ending. It was a great night of total madness, only to
be achieved at a house gig.
Yesterday, there was an article in the Irish Times about "Love Can't Always Be Articulate"
- you'll find it here.
The more of you that buy the tickets in advance for the gigs, the larger the line-up
- it's as simple as that. So please, please, buy your tickets now, this is an expensive
show. Unlike other people who play at these churches for the ambience, we are actually
using the organ and the piano. The line-up will be:
Garvan Gallagher on Bass and Vocals
Mick Egan on Guitar
Aileen Mythen on Vocals and Percussion
Josh Johnston on Organ and Piano
and myself on Guitar and Piano - we might add trumpet if you book now!
Aileen's band The Remedy Club will open for us.
Gigs
Saturday, June 11th: Unitarian Church, Dublin; Tickets here.
Saturday, June 18th: St Iberius Church, Wexford; Tickets here.
"I'm not coddin you boy, but you brought the good wedder wit ye, sno doubtin about
it"
"Thanks, it's my pleasure, it's a pity it's so windy though"
"Ah now it's grand, r ye jokin me, no, fair play, and credit where it's due, ye
deffinly brought the sun wit ye. Someone told me you were playin somewhere
in the near future. I forget who it was now, who's this was it now? Jasus I could
be wrackin me brains here all day. You don't know who I am do ye?"
"Yeah I'm playin in Dublin
"I'm not coddin ye boy, you have the life! dares no doubt about it, I suppose you're
making pucks of money?"
"Yeah, do you want some?"
"Ha ha dat bates all, I'll do me best to see ye down dere, when did ye say it was.
June 12th?"
"No, June 11th is Wexford
(He was still doing his best to ignore me presenting him with my iPhone, with the
ticket website open on it).
"Oh, Jays I can't go on the 18th, I just remembered, I knew dere was somtin, I know
it sounds funny, but there's an oul aunt of mine who is dying, she's been tretenin
to die for years now, but we do actually expect her to die soon and dat's goin to
be some funeral!, I say I'll be busy around dat time wit everyone being home an
all"
"OK, That's a new one I have to say, all the best"
Wexford!!
Someone stopped the organist Josh Johnston - who is playing with me at these 2 performances
– on the street and asked him where he could get a ticket for the Dublin show, Josh
told him to go here and he said that he doesn't have the internet. Now
I know that those of you receiving this email, have the internet. But
still it dawned on me that some of you might not want to deal with ordering tickets
that way, so I will take your names here and reserve a ticket for you. Thursday
will be the last day for taking names though, as there is just too much to do after
that, also you will need to be at the church no later than 8 p.m. The show
is half sold now, so it's going well, but I want to fill it, this is an expensive
show, and worth it, the sound is incredible. I have been thinking of songs of mine
that are suited to the wonderful church acoustics, and there are a good few! I sang
"Oh Ireland" yesterday at the piano in the church and it was made for it.
If you know someone who is internet shy, just tell them to go to the door
on the night, they should be fine, they can sit on my lap. So send your
reservations to claregturner@gmail.com
See you there lads. Love Piercex
PS: I will have albums for sale at the gigs
Gigs
Saturday, June 11th: Unitarian Church, Dublin; Tickets here.
Saturday, June 18th: St Iberius Church, Wexford; Tickets here.
Just as things are starting to heat up here I'm heading back to New York. The Dublin
Unitarian Church was sublime last Saturday. As always the Dublin audience was filled
with life, they have something in their blood that is relentlessly positive. And
the Irish Ensemble of musicians were superb also. This is such a special sound,
with the organ coming from behind the audience and us coming from the front, it's
like something Pink Floyd would pay a fortune for (and so would you). Two extended
standing ovations, and the entire church singing "Someone gave us something for
free" left us all flying.
This week we had a boob in Facebook, when Clare posted a second event for the same
one that was already posted – this Saturday June 18th at the Wexford St Iberius
on the Main Street - Michael Q the man behind me in the I.T crew reminded her and
suggested she delete it to avoid confusion, so Clare cancelled it instead of deleting
it, and it was all over Facebook that the up and coming gig was CANCELLED. My phone
rang off the bloody receiver, and I posted it numerous times about the error, before
the panic seemed to subside. Bad news travels VERY fast. Maybe I should promote
my gig at Joe's Pub in New York on Thursday July 21st as cancelled? We might get
a bit of urgency from my very laidback audience. I know that I encourage you to
be laidback, but there is a point when we will all die lads!! That gig will have
the New York Ensemble that you heard at the NY launch back in March, you know the
songs now, come and lets have a sing song, with a bit of luxury in one of America's
top five venues, according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
The tickets are going well for Wexford, it's going to be smashing….and it's NOT
cancelled. But Joe's Pub is another matter, let's start a rumour now.
The new album had 3 reviews in the Sunday National Papers here.
Love an all that jazz xxxxPierce.
Gigs
Saturday, June 18th: St Iberius Church, Wexford; Tickets here.
Thursday, July 21st: Joe's Pub, New York: Tickets here
I am back in NYC getting ready for the Frank McCourt 20th Anniversary show this Sunday at the Sheen Center in Manhattan (sold out) - it's a new theatre on Bleecker Street.
Having just spent a lot of time waiting in airports, I found myself noticing the effect of it and wondering if there is a song there? It's a kind of neutral ground, a place where all of our normal responsibilities go by the wayside; the bills piled upon each other in the hallway, the cost of an airport sandwich, our guard towards strangers; it feels like everyone there is in the same club! And tears come easily, for no particular reason. There is a sense of freedom; everything is put off until tomorrow, and no one can reasonably expect you to do a task regardless of the urgency. It's like you are in outer space and can't be reached until you land, you don't have to watch what you eat or drink, and it doesn't matter if it's morning or night. Travelling can be hard, taking off the belt and the shoes, the in and out of the computer, explaining all the bloody wires that I have to carry with me, shoving it all down the line while holding on to my trousers, counting the gates for miles and miles, only to find an elevator that takes me to the next set of gates. But once you get there and put down the bags, there is a great moment of respite to relish as you people watch with a very expensive pint and sandwich in hand, knowing that you are such a cad at that moment, that you are not phased by doling out a small fortune.
Thanks everyone who came to the Irish gigs, they were really thrilling for me, singing in those acoustics with that organ coming from behind the audience while we came from the front, created something truly unique, so special that I am adamant about doing a bunch more the next time, and it seemed to bring people out of the woodwork, some old and some new. A gentleman called Donal from Waterford has found a beautiful church there that we are working on, if you know of a good church with a working organ and the right vibe (not stiff or depressing) please get in touch, it doesn't matter where, lets look at it first before we decide. And I mean in the US or UK also.
But what about Manhattan? The Sheen Center show is sold out, but no need to fret, we have a good one coming up at the glorious Joe's Pub. We will have the full ensemble from the last NY church gig: Andriette Redmann on bass and vocals plus Kath Green on vocals and percussion, John Rokosny on guitar, Fred Parcells on the bone and vocals, and Mark Brotter on drums and percussion, me on the grand piano and guitar, we will do the new album and the old ones, tickets are on sale starting now. I hope to see all the familiar faces and those new ones that have been popping up with the gleeful surprise of virginity.
One gets the feeling that these are golden days judging by the reaction in Ireland - in New York, please come and celebrate with a nice cool cocktail, bring your vibe and I'll bring mine. BTW, I made it a Thursday to suit your summer weekends.
Px
Thursday, July 21st: Joe's Pub, New York: Tickets here
A great night at the Frank McCourt 20th Anniversary of Angela's Ashes celebration. Backstage with Larry Kirwan of Black 47, who sang and told a wonderful story about Frank.
Frank's brothers Malachy McCourt and Alphie McCourt with John Rokosny
Kath Green and Andriette Redmann of Avon Faire, Fred Parcells of Black 47 and John Rokosny with Pierce Turner on his new song, "He Gets Gone".
Thursday, July 21st: Joe's Pub, New York: Tickets here
It was Monday July 4th and it hadn't been an easy week up till then.
The previous Sunday June 26th was a wondrous day at the Sheen Theatre
on Bleeker Street in the Village. The author Joseph O'Connor had invited us to perform
at the Angela's Ashes 20th Anniversary Concert in this newly renovated
hi tech auditorium, it was a bill filled with a mish-mash of talented people, all
strung together around one simple premise; respect for the deceased Frank McCourt
and his hugely successful memoir. It was mostly an evening of spoken word - other
than that, Jean Butler (of Riverdance fame) danced, Larry Kirwan my old cohort from
Wexford sang, and I sang with my New York Ensemble. All performers were asked to
stay within a four-minute framework, and most of us did, so it was a quickly-paced
event that never allowed the usual greedy types to hog the limelight. At the end
of the evening, Malachy McCourt and his youngest brother Alphie took to the stage
in their own time, Malachy at eighty-four pushing his grey walker, and Alphie at
seventy-six with his silver tie hanging out and swinging slowly from his forward-leaning
gait, a dry under-pronounced pleasantness etched into his milky pale Irish skin,
skin that suggested his hair had been ginger before it turned grey. Malachy beamed
from ear to ear with long grey hair that curled over his large white dinner jacket,
it was easy to see in him the child that Frank described in the book as so charming
and inquisitive with his little pearly white teeth.
Before them, Gabriel Byrne had been at the podium - he had just come from the theatre
where he had completed the final performance of the four-hour Eugene O'Neill play
Long Days Journey Into Night. As had been the pattern throughout the evening,
his presence was natural and understated and he spoke in a soft deliberate Dublin
accent and compared O'Neill's play to Angela's Ashes in the way that they both dug
deep into the microcosm of one family, the hidden shame, pain and truth. He also
talked about how Frank could be charming company one minute and then in the next
decapitate you with a knife. It was easy to become totally immersed as he delivered
his gentle thoughts on why this evening was important, and why he was there and
why we were there, he hadn't much to say he said, and because he wasn't trying,
he was all the more powerful.
The same applied to Alphie and Malachy, they had no intention of knocking us out.
Malachy sat down on his walker as Alphie underwhelmed with the might of a humble
guru. Saddened by the fact that his brother Michael had died six months previous,
he motioned the shape of an arc with his hand and said "I'm sure he's around here
somewhere. Michael was always fighting with Frank, I remember coming out of some
place one evening with drink taken, and Michael had been arguing with Frank for
some time, Frank just brushed him off with clever ripostes, finally Michael shouted,
you're nothing only a tortured version of James Joyce!, of course all of us, including
Frank, just fell around laughing". Alphie pulled out a hanky from his brown
jacket and wiped his nose periodically, occasionally coughing with a dry throat,
after a roll of droll humour, then he just quietly strolled off stage through the
wing. Malachy pulled the goose-necked mike towards him and thought out loud "he's
probably gone for a drink, OK, so I'll just say a few words, as King Henry the Eighth
said to his many wives, I won't keep you long!" Eventually Alphie returned, and
they finished with a song, encouraging us all to sing along, and try we did, even
though we didn't have the foggiest what the words were, but the song was infectious.
The humility of these two unpretentious men reminded me that you don't have to jump
through hoops to touch an audience; you just have to be honest. It was a magical
event, and all I can think is that Frank McCourt and his masterwork had hovered
over the whole affair and turned the mish-mash into a coherent homage.
That was Sunday. The next day, Monday, I was standing in my kitchen leaning against
the countertop, still quietly pleased with the previous days happening. There before
me seated by the door was Kevin, the owner of an Irish Wheaton Terrier called Murphy,
and talking to him with her back to me sat Clare, in between them sat upon the floor
was Murphy. We had been minding Murphy for Kevin for several days, and I had walked
him, fed him, patted him on the head, rubbed him under the chin, and only made him
wear his muzzle while I was walking him, he had sat on the couch with me when I
was watching the European cup. It seemed cruel to make him wear the muzzle around
the house, although he had to wear it because of some unclear personality trait.
He is a medium size, very muscular dog that is excitable. I was waving my hands
about, talking of who knows what, when Murphy with a vicious growl lunged at me
and took a lump out of my index finger. I looked at Kevin with the fear of God in
my eyes and the word HELP screaming in silence, pulling my hand away only suggested
attack to the dog, now he went for my stomach tearing a hole in my shirt and puncturing
the skin, his growl was as ferocious as his action, I felt completely helpless,
if I moved, he would get worse, all I could do was let him attack it seemed.
Kevin jumped up and shouted HEY, grabbing Murphy by the collar and pulling
him back, a little too late for me.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I don't know what happened" I said, shaken, embarrassed and uncomfortable,
for the dog and the owner, while my blood was spilling all over the kitchen tiles.
Clare, who was feeling all the same emotions as me about the dog and owner (Catholics)
explained that I was probably bleeding that much because I take a baby aspirin every
day. That split my emotions for a second, I was now feeling that some sympathy
was in order, and that this was still real blood, so what if it was a little thinner!
The dog and the worried owner left, my favourite shirt was ripped apart and we went
to the emergency ward at Beth Israel where three hours later I got stitches in my
finger.
That was Monday. Tuesday comes and it's a hot one, Clare and I decide to go for
a swim over at Asser Levy, an excellent Olympic-size public pool over on 21st
Street and First Avenue. I point out to Clare that my favourite American Camper
sandals are starting to fall apart, the rubber soles are flapping in the front and
in the back, it had been going on for a while, but now they were getting dangerous.
She had ordered a new pair with Amazon but they hadn't come yet. Clare suggested
that I wear them over to the Pound Shop along the way, and that we would get a cheap
pair for three dollars there that would get me to the pool and back. After going
though a heap of very bright plastic sandals we finally settled on a black pair
that were a bit on the big side. The pool has its rules though, you must have a
lock for the locker, no magazines, no phones, and you must shower before going in
the pool. So Clare goes to the women's to change and I go upstairs to the men's
locker room.
Clare reminded me that you can get verrucas in public showers, so I should wear
my new plastic sandals to the shower, after all they are waterproof unlike my campers.
I wet myself and my shoes, lock the locker and swing down the stairs, the wet stairs!
BANG!! My feet went flying up in the air … the hard plastic shoes were now like
boards in a water slide, I hit that hard stone stairs screaming involuntarily, beyond
all Catholic restraint, my pain echoed up the stairwell so loud that the two jaded
janitors came and asked me was I alright, my feet had gone so far into the black
shoes that they were stretched over my ankles now, I had landed on my left arse,
and it was swollen so bad I barely recognized it, I was half of a hippie person,
half big bum, my neck hurt, the ring on my finger had carved a purple bruise where
it tried to travel towards my wrist, every muscle in my body ached, and people were
looking at me. I was in agony, and I was embarrassed, AGAIN!
I hobbled out to the swimming pool where Clare was frolicking around like a baby
seal, I hobbled towards the ladder mouthing my agony towards her, finally, after
boring a hole into the back of her head she glanced in my direction. "I have just
had the worst fall of my life", I mouthed towards her. She had "what now?" on her
lips as I descended into the cool soothing water. On the way home Clare insisted
on bringing the shoes back to the Pound Shop, I stood outside while she argued with
two Chinese teenage girls about how dangerous the shoes were. I think this was her
way of showing she cared, so I let her, even though I thought it was unreasonable.
She got the three bucks back, and I hobbled home in my flappy campers.
To this day I am covered in bruise patterns, a myriad of colours like an angry sky,
deep purples, black and blue, with a translucent sulphur yellow, they are in the
front of my leg, the back of my leg, my left arse, reaching up over the front of
my stomach where they almost meet the ones on my right stomach with the puncture
wounds left by Murphy. The ground they cover is so vast, it's clear now that
I had so many spots that were hurt, I had lost track of them, but the bruises are
there like a map to show where they were.
That was Tuesday. A few days later, I heard that Alphie went to bed for a
sleep and never woke up. Another bruise, this one on the inside.
On Monday July 4th I sat by Clare's cousin Amanda's pool in Philadelphia,
they had a party that was set to climax with a fireworks display by the local Chamber
of Commerce come nightfall. It was absolutely pouring rain, and we sat huddled under
umbrellas drinking beer and eating bread and cheese. A woman whom I knew,
but wasn't sure how, lamented that she hadn't been to an Irish music festival in
ages, she heard that the Milwaukee Irish beer festival was great as usual and when
was I playing again?
"July 21st I'm at Joe's Pub in Manhattan"
"Oh I can't possibly go to something on July 31st, I have a school………etc"
"No it's not on the 31st, it's on July 21st"
"Oh that's even worse, I can't possibly go to a gig on the 21st….etc"
I jumped in the pool and watched the fireworks over the high trees, above the occasional
lighted windows of a passing train, in the rain.
Thursday, July 21st: Joe's Pub, New York: Tickets here
Thursday morning 11:07 it's 85 degrees and 90% humidity, not sure if we should open the windows or keep them closed. We've had the AC on all night in the back of the house where the bedroom is, and it's nice and cool, but we don't want to live in AC all day with the windows closed, Clare says its like living in a cave, and I agree. She is heading out for a breakfast meeting and I need to work on the set for my gig at Joes Pub next Thursday, she suggests that I should go to the Italian cafe on the corner of 10th to get out of here. As I'm heading out the door I am confronted with a dilemma; should I open the windows or keep them closed? For someone living in Ireland this is a no-brainer, but this is New York, in the centre of Manhattan. When I came here first I remember being astonished when someone told me that they aimed their fan outwards in order to exhale the humidity, as opposed to blowing the air in. Humidity is the real problem here, not so much the heat, obviously you would only do this if you have no AC. The next best cure was to keep the windows closed, try and keep the humidity out, just grin an bear the dryer heat, that seemed nuts to me. Truth is if you don't have an air conditioner you're fucked no matter what you do, and I didn't even have a bloody $26 fan at that time. Anyway I never bought into it, kept the windows wide open, and nothing moved except the mosquitos, not an ounce of air or wind. I just walked around in my underpants with the sweat dripping down my chest, hadn't acquired shorts yet, went against the Irish grain, I found them a little embarrassing, or uncool, not David Bowie enough.
However now I'm a grown man, and I have AC! (and shorts) but I don't want to have it on all day. So should I leave the windows closed as I'm going out, or close them? I decide to leave them closed and keep whatever cool air that is there within. I'll re-appraise the situation when I'm out there; decide what I should do upon my return to the cave.
I push the tired old metal street door open - top-half cracked glass, covered from head to toe in graffiti - and there it is the force of damp heat bearing down on the half naked sweaty citizens hauling their tired arses along the pavement. A tall unshaven man in a sweaty undershirt thuds his beaten body towards me, soggy denim shorts, off white socks and shapeless dirty sneakers, he has a long tired face, long hair in a ragged pony tail, ear buds attached to his phone and an old cloth bag twisted around his hand. He is an ugly unhappy looking bugger, almost dangerous, but probably not, he only has half of my attention until he makes an ugly leeching sound "chu-wawwwww" and casts his tired head downwards at two passing women passing him by. Now with their back to him and me are two young women in their early twenties, I can't see their faces, but can tell from their skin that they are young and that the one he is panting at, is black. The two women completely ignore him, obviously used to this shit. I am always astonished at this, I see this all the time in New York, big ugly looking assholes oogling women to their faces, what do they think; that they have a chance? That the women like this? I try to imagine what it is like to be the woman, it seems like they are used to it as part of the daily routine in this city, I can't imagine adding this to my life as part of the difficulty commuting in this overcrowded city.
Only once did I come close to this experience, it comes back to me now as I try to get inside the thoughts of these women. Back in the eighties my friend Larry Kirwan and a guy called Jacque from Lyon used to bounce around New York bars looking for fun. When our usual haunts were dull and too familiar, Jacque would exclaim "Gypse!!" imminently we would hop in to a yellow cab and head towards 49th and First Avenue where there was a cabaret club owned by a transvestite performer called Gypse, of course it was predominantly a gay hang-out, but that never even crossed our mind. One Monday night with nothing going on anywhere, we swung into Gypse half stoned and up for the Craic. Gypse was up on the stage, a tall skinny drag artist with a sharp tongue and wicked sense of humor. We were glued to the stage laughing and yelping in support, when suddenly I noticed a table of men to my right, they were all staring at us, looking us up and down, one of them said " alright...that's more like it" I felt like a lump of meat, it made me withdraw and want to hide behind something, that is the nearest I ever came to what these women must feel like, and this guy was not being rude, he was doing what people do in singles bars, I can't imagine experiencing that when I'm just popping out to get some milk.
To my surprise, the apartment was pretty cool when I returned, even without the air conditioner, keeping the windows closed had kept the humidity out, they were right all those years ago when I didn't believe them.
Just rehearsed "Thunderstorm" with the full ensemble, including the original drum part with Mark Brotter, Andriette Redmann on Bass Synth, John Roksony on Guitar and Fred Parcells playing the original Trombone that he played on the album Now Is Heaven. Forget all the agony of the world, leave the heat on the street, and come to our love fest at Joe's Pub in Manhattan on Thursday July 21st.
Great show at Joe's Pub (Public Theater NYC) tonight with the Pierce Turner Ensemble - with Mark Brotter, Fred Parcells, Pierce Turner, Andriette Redmann and John Rokosny - we missed you Kath!
Outside Scratchers after the gig. Mark Brotter, Fred Parcells, Pierce Turner, Andriette Redmann and John Rokosny
"It's come to the end of the season; everyone's brooding or teething"
This is a line from You Are Leaving, a so-far unheralded track from Love Can't Always Be Articulate. It's a favourite of mine: of course it may be favoured by others out there too, sometimes no one speaks out loud, sometimes a song can quietly hum beneath the surface and it's preferred to keep it there (I had no idea that people liked Drumsna from Boy To Be With until I had several requests for the lyrics during the Pledge campaign). But the real litmus test for a song is when I have to sing it repeatedly. If the song has an Achilles heel, it soon buckles after a couple of renditions before an audience. I sang You Are Leaving with Zach Dean, the church organist at the Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran, and once again I found it moving as I sang it out over the empty church. Zach added something new to it with his command of the organ, it was clear that he has a rock sensibility.
I have now sung these new songs in churches and clubs and even at the Irish Consulate in front of dignitaries, and there is no sign of fatigue. No sign of the world at large knowing about them either though. That's just the way it is, they are yours and mine alone: can that be enough? Why the hell not! Van Gogh only had one fan, his brother Theo, but were those paintings diminished by the absence of notoriety? No! Of course if the world knew that he had cut off his ear, they would've been more interested while he was alive, "Clare, pass me the bread knife"
I do have one on him though, I can perform, and I love to sing to people, and the performances at these churches have been amazing to take part in, cool places, run by cool dudes. There are a bunch more special shows coming up too.
Starting October 21st at the Gustavus Adolphus Church where the album was recorded, this is an encore of the performance we had there earlier this year (some extra songs though) for the launch of Love Can't Always Be Articulate - we raised $3000 for the repair of the stained glass window the last time, the window is now in place, we will help pay the enormous bill with this show also, and you will get to see how beautiful it is. The ensemble backing me up will be all these amazing people:
Tickets available now here - what more can you ask for? This involves a huge amount of rehearsal and organisation, please spread the word and let's fill that incredible space - wine and food in the basement afterwards. Maybe you will sing this time?
Then to Ireland, the first 2 shows there will be private, and then on Nov 25th 2016 we - me and the Irish Ensemble - will encore at the lovely Dublin Unitarian Church in the heart of Stephen's Green. Tickets available here. Then to my home town on Dec 3rd at the St Iberius Church on the Wexford Main St – where last time, the whole gang stood outside arm in arm and sang "Faith Of Our Fathers" incredibly touching for me. People came from Cork, New York, Gortahork, Kerry, Mayo and Glenamaddy. I love singing in these churches. Tickets for that show are available here. And if I can't find a church, give me intimacy, nowhere is more so than Coughlans in Cork city, that will be on Thursday Dec 8th, tickets available here .
Dec 12th will be my return to Limerick through the back door so to speak, it's an invitation only gig at a Hotel called 1 Pery Square. For tickets you should contact Tom at tpprendergast@yahoo.com and say I sent you. There are a couple more private gigs and then in 2017 I will be in Glasgow for the first time in decades, why I haven't been there is a mystery, it always went down a storm there. This is a big one though, and maybe the romance will re-ignite. The exact date is not set, but it will be at the Tron Theatre as part of Celtic Connections Festival during the weekend of Jan 20th to 23rd - keep an eye out here.
I think that's enough for now, as always I am in your hands, without you I am toast.
Love Pierce xxxx
This is a reminder for all you New Yorkers who never sleep, set your alarm for next
Friday Oct 21st, my last NY gig in 2016. The Ensemble is ready, the sound
in this church with that organ and this line-up, is positively massive. For one
night only, a small corner of Manhattan will be declared a Politics-Free Zone!
There'll be no debating, no moderators and our only goal will be to Make Music Great
Again!
New York
The Pierce Turner Ensemble
Fri, Oct 21st – 7.30 p.m.
The Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church 155 East 22nd St bet 3rd and Lex. Just click
on the campaign poster below to buy tickets:
Us addled dwellers running round with holstered yoga mats: here's a list of up and
coming shows, with no frilly stories to confuse you. Px
New York
The Pierce Turner Ensemble
Fri, Oct 21st – 7.30 p.m.
The Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church 155 East 22nd St bet 3rd and Lex. Tickets
available now
here
; Last New York date in the year of our lord ……2016
Dublin
The Pierce Turner Ensemble
Fri, Nov 25th - 7.30 p.m.
Unitarian Church in the heart of Stephen's Green. Tickets available here
Wexford
The Pierce Turner Ensemble
Sat Dec 3rd - 8.00 p.m.
St Iberius Church, North Main Street. Tickets available here
Cork
Solo show
Thurs Dec 8th - 9 p.m.
Coughlans, 7 Douglas St. Tickets available here
Limerick
Solo show
Mon Dec 12th - 8 p.m.
No.1 Pery Square. Contact tpprendergast@yahoo.com for bookings. Say I sent you, SERIOUSLY.
Glasgow
Solo show
Jan 20th - 23rd
Glasgow Tron Theatre –
Celtic
Connections Festival
Exact date not yet announced, we'll let you know asap, but it will be that weekend.
Dublin
Solo show
Sat Feb 4th 2107 – 8.00 p.m.
The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre Naul, Co. Dublin. Tickets will be available here closer to the date.
"What do you fancy for dinner?"
"I dunno"
I was hunched over the piano warming down my voice after rehearsing with Paula Cox
and Mick Egan, a bit miserable I was; nursing the latter half of a stinking cold.
Clare was halfway out the door, and was fed up making decisions about food.
And tired of looking at me slumped in the corner like a heap of misery.
"Well give me a clue, smoked haddock?"
"Ugh, no thanks……….. Actually!……." I lit "I think I fancy a stew"
"Well it's all there, some of the filling from that cottage pie is still there in
the pot, and there is a pound of minced turkey in the fridge", said she, relieved
that I was contributing.
"Frozen?"
"No, it's fresh"
"Oh OK then I will make a stew, with the turkey, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, pearl
barley, onion, stock and herbs ( I didn't really say all of that) "
So I made the stew, and we just ate it here by a blazing fire, on this freezing
cold Wexford night in the year of our Lord two thousand and sixteen.
Last night my good friend the Wex Doc - David Curtis sorted me out with some penicillin,
I begged him for help cos I was losing my mind. Every time I coughed my chest
hurt, and then my mind hurt with worry about being able to sing properly on Monday
night for the RTE Radio 1 show Arena, on which they have asked me to sing two live
songs. The pills are kicking in now thanks be to Jasus, and I'm on the mend.
You can listen in here,
at 7 p.m. Irish time on Monday night.
Doing these church gigs is not easy, but they are worth it. I drive to Dublin
for rehearsals with the organist Josh Johnston, and Garvan Gallagher (the bassist)
who drives down from Westmeath to meet us at the Dublin Unitarian in Stephens Green.
And then I rehearse with Mick and Paula in Wexford. I go up and down like
a whore's drawers, and with the cold it's been extra tough, under-singing all the
while so as not to strain the voice. We also have a trombone player joining us,
have yet to meet him. Each unit sounds great on its own though, and the magic
is when they all come together. The gig is next Friday the 25th and you can book
here
It's been a cupla two tree fy years since I've been in Ireland for Christmas. I'm
beginning to feel it in my bones. There'll be night in the day, and everywhere the
fairy lights will wrestle with the winter's way, and a pilot has dropped me, dropped
me down from the Christmas clouds, December 22, 23, 24, I can hear the angels sing.
I look forward to seeing you.
Love Pierce xxxx
Dublin: Unitarian Church, Nov 25th, tickets here
Wexford: St Iberius Church, Dec 3rd, tickets here
Cork: Coughlans, Dec 8th, tickets here
Limerick: 1 Pery Square, Dec 12th, email tpprendergast@yahoo.com to book
Glasgow: Tron Theatre, Jan 20th, tickets here
Naul, Co. Dublin: Seamus Ennis Centre, Feb 4th, tickets not yet
on sale
Book your tickets here for the Wexford gig on this Saturday, December
3rd at St Iberius church.
Mike's cat sleeps in the back of his car, he parks it around the back of his house
somewhere down around Rathangan in Co Wexford. He was having a cup of tea on our
sofa when he relayed the story about his new car and the cat in his thick Manchester
accent.
"I ope no-one is aleer-gik"
I looked at Clare for a minute and wondered about her allergies, they hadn't been so noticeable of late, but of course we don't have a cat in New York. However, we've been in Ireland for a couple of weeks now and our cat Albert (shared with a Wexford friend) doesn't seem to be affecting her. So we all tittered in union, and brushed the question aside.
On Friday at one o'clock everyone congregated at our Davitt Road bungalow for the trip to Dublin and after we loaded the gear into the back of Mike's car we all piled in. I bagged the front passenger seat hoping for a nap. Clare, Paula and Mick, slid into the back (where the cat sleeps) and off we went to Dublin for our show at the Dublin Unitarian. Late the night before, Josh Johnston the organist had slipped into his text a small bombshell, the church had accidently double-booked a wedding rehearsal at 6 p.m. during our planned soundcheck. This is typical of the stuff that happens when you are playing in churches. "Nightmare!" I replied, Josh wrote back that we would start at 4.30 and have plenty of time, and if needed we could resume after the rehearsal at 7.15.
"If everything goes swimmingly Josh, that won't be a problem, but the doors open at 7.30, what if something goes wrong?" We hadn't played together yet as a whole unit, I had rehearsed with Josh on organ and Garvan on bass at the church, and with Mick on guitar and Paula on vocals and percussion in Wexford, but we hadn't played together as a unit yet, the soundcheck was going to be the only chance. I had this kind of thing before and knew how to pull it off, but a wedding rehearsal in the middle of it? Yikes!
We pulled up in front of the church at half three, unloaded and set up the equipment. The heat had been on since ten in the morning because during the rehearsal on the previous Tuesday we found that the cold front blowing down from the North had lowered the pitch of the organ by a ¼ tone. The organ tuner had advised us to put the heat on early with the hope that the organ would move up to the standard A440 pitch by gig time. It wasn't exactly boiling in there at half three, but the edge had been taken off of it, and Josh excitedly greeted us on the church steps with the news that the organ was going upwards, only two cents below 440 now! By the time we began playing it was only one cent below. Of course we could always tune to the organ, but the bloody piano still stayed at 440, we had only one tune in which both of them played "Sorrow is a Solid Feeling" I had already begrudgingly restructured the set with its exclusion, just in case.
At around quarter to five we were ready to go, so we checked the organ once more, we tried playing "Sorrow" and it seemed alright to Garvan and me , Josh didn't seem as happy, but I figured if it didn't hurt Garv and me, it couldn't be too bad. We began rehearsing and checking the sound at the same time. It was sounding good and we were just about to hit another song when I noticed a change in the atmosphere. A frumpy looking woman in her fifties with a forward keel, and a "here's me head and me bum is coming" posture, swung her brown handbag like a weapon as she busied across the aisle. I suddenly became aware of her and was clocking her Michael Caine glasses and Clancy Brothers cardigan more than anything else, when a second dawning came upon me (Josh and the sound man Kevin - who lives and works in the Church – had gone into a state of reverence). Of course, this was Bridget the Pastor, and the four people behind her giggling, were the wedding party! Without much being said we all laid down our instruments in surrender and sheepishly crawled away to the basement cum dressing room.
At five to eight Josh went up to measure the organ again, it was a ½ cent short of the target. I put "Sorrow" back in the set. And we lighted the stage for a blinder.
On Sunday Clare woke up coughing a weird kind of dry cough, unlike the ones we both had when she had a chest cold the previous week.
"What's wrong with you?"
She was wheezing, I found her inhaler.
"That's odd, why are you wheezing now?"
"Mike's cat!!" It dawned on me, he slept in the back of the car where Clare sat going up and down to Dublin, Mike leaves the car window open for him so that he can get in and out. Jays, we'll have to give it a good hoovering before the long drive to Scotland. Mike will be amused.
Now for the Wexford gig at the St Iberius next Saturday Dec 3rd where the 150 year old organ, with the sweetest sound, tends to hover around 5 cents sharp of the desired pitch, all 1350 pipes.
Synthesizers are for wimps, this is a real living thing. Love Pierce x
Wexford: St Iberius Church, Dec 3rd, tickets here
Cork: Coughlans, Dec 8th, tickets here
Limerick: 1 Pery Square, Dec 12th, email tpprendergast@yahoo.com
to book
Glasgow: Tron Theatre, Jan 20th, tickets here
Naul, Co. Dublin: Seamus Ennis Centre, Feb 4th, tickets not yet
on sale
The mood was jubilant driving away from Coughlans of Cork on Thursday night. The gig had been sold out and extra stools had to be employed to make use of every nook and cranny, getting on stage was even a maneuver, getting off was even harder. The atmosphere was magic and I could've sung any song really, the more obscure the better, even the new comers seemed to know them. When the audience sang, they sang out without hesitation, and when they laughed I had to wait for them to stop, and when it got deep, they dove down with me to feel what was there; magnificent people. So the mood was jubilant as beaming Mike and I drove delightedly away up the one-way Douglas Street in the opposite direction of the determined way for everyone else. Cars backed up to get away from our unfettered advance, as we breezed ahead to the nearest turn off heading down the hill towards the quay. After our usual quota of getting lost, our chronic lack of direction became overwhelmed by our unbridled enthusiasm, and we somehow got taken to the Waterford road by a series of one-way streets that seemed to have been designed to ferry the likes of us in the right direction, in spite of ourselves.
It was all going swimmingly as we pulled out on to the open road, with David Bowie's "Let's Dance" blasting out on the stereo. Mick, the sound man at Coughlans had told us we would encounter a garage pretty soon (we needed fuel) and we should keep an eye to the left. Sure as shit there she was coming up on left, bright clean lights shouting out "we are open". I was ravenous, and went straight to the Indian gentleman behind the bullet proof glass to enquire about sandwiches. I could hear Mike humming away as he rammed the pump into his car and fiddled with the screen read out.
"Hi, how are ye? Do you by any chance have sandwiches?"
"Yes we do indeed"
He was a young friendly man with an strong Indian accent, but I could understand him clearly enough as his voice squeaked out through the tiny speaker below my side of the counter.
"Would you have tuna by any chance?"
"I have" he replied unhesitantly to my surprise.
"Could I have it on brown bread?"
I couldn't believe my luck as he nodded in the affirmative.
"Great I'll have a tuna sandwich on brown bread and a lucozade please oh and hold on" I shouted over to Mike as he delightedly gazed at the sky humming even louder now while allowing the nozzle to administer the much needed gasoline into his car's receptacle.
"Mike! Would you like a sandwich and a coffee or something"
"Oh, just a coffee will be fine Pierce, with milk, thanks! " Mike is not a needy type.
Off went the young teller, confidently around the floor of the fair size store, knowing exactly where everything was and returning in no time with all our needs in a white plastic bag. He added the cost of the petrol from pump number 2 to the bill, and I put a fifty euro note in the drawer which he had shoved in my direction. He calculated the change and pushed the drawer back to me with the bag of goodies and the coffee standing up in a carton along side the change. Mike was already in the car and as soon as I hopped in we took once more to the Waterford/Wexford dual carriageway, with gusto.
"This is very nice coffee I must say Pierce, and Hassy back at the bar gave me a gorgeous cup of coffee at the end of the night, wherever he got it from, I think they had a machine"
Mike had now progressed from humming to singing the words (almost) to Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" I was delighted that I had brought that box set along, as I prized open my sandwich packaging in the dark, and shoved it enthusiastically into my gob. Ugh, I thought
"What is this?"
"Eh?" said Mike
"I don't know what the fuck is in this sandwich, but it's not tuna"
Mike put some light on the subject, there it was, a ham salad sandwich in cold white bread, a sloppy rag type of white bread, the kind I really hate, with ham (which I don't care for either) tomato (Bad in sandwiches unless eaten right away, they make the bread wet) a lot of mayonnaise and a bit of lettuce. Christ, did that guy understand anything that I said?
Mike became silent, he stopped humming, he caught my attention.
"Ugh , hmm, that's a bit odd, she's chugging" said he, with an uncharacteristic tone of fright.
" I ope I didn't put petrol in instead of diesel, cor blimey!"
"Well didn't it say Diesel on the pump that you used Mike?" I ensued with the calmest voice I could muster, as the car began to lose pace.
"Well, I didn't really look, the nozzles are supposed to be different sizes, I presumed it wouldn't fit if it was wrong"
The car was now slowing down and Mike could see his life flashing before him, and in it he saw a green pump (which represents petrol) not a black one (diesel) he now had the presence of mind that he didn't have back then, his heart sank visibly as he pulled into the shoulder. The car was now screaming out visual alarms on the dashboard "FATAL FLAW !!!"
We had been driving in the fog with low visibility, but now the rain began coming down too, beating heartily against the glass, as the winter wind of the Irish countryside howled around the car. Only five minutes before, we had been driving along in the lap of luxury with Bowie singing and the heater warming the cockles of our heart. Now we were pulled over by a tall wet stone wall in the dark, hazard lights flashing, music halted by the car itself "POWER ECONOMY!!" it now flashed. It dawned on us both that we may not be going home that night, it also dawned on us that we hadn't the foggiest what to do. It was 1.30 on a Thursday night, everyone would be in bed. Cars and trucks flew past at such a pace, we could feel the car rock from the pressure of their wind.
" 911!! Let's call 911" said Mike
"A great idea" said I. But! Said I
"What can they do?"
"They can siphon it off"
"Can they? 30 Euro worth of petrol! "
I imagined someone sucking a hose (the way thieves do to steal petrol) in the pissing rain with the wind blowing in four directions and trucks flying past so fast they were bending the grass, I was dubious to say the least, we might be doomed.
But Mike was right! After we were piggy backed on the phone from the police to their break down crew, through to their suggestion of someone else because they had to stay on duty, to another guy who was 40 minutes away , to someone else who was 20 minutes away, a big beautiful yellow van with flashing lights appeared in our rear view mirror, oh the brotherhood of man, hallelujah!!
This van, and this man, had everything. He insisted that we get the car way in off the road, he got his shoulder to it and just pushed us in, while I sat there like a twat. I got out as soon as it stopped and introduce myself. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in.
"Mind yourself! this road is fierce, they come flying long here shur, ye could be kilt in a flash"
Then he opened up the back of his van, upon opening the door it automatically lit up like an operating theatre on wheels. On the floor in the middle of the very efficiently organized pumps and other gadgets was a big white tank with Gas Scavenger written on it. Sure as shit that was for sucking the rogue petrol out of the diesel engine. All I could think as I sat there - cold enough now - was Mike's mistake must be common enough. After sucking all the petrol out, and some cajoling with the cylinders or something like that for about a half hour (not sure what they are called) we were repaired, and the Cork break down man sent us off flying towards home again. David Bowie was on "China Girl" now and Mike began to hum again.
"Isn't that an Iggy Pop song?" I offered.
"Is it?" mm ♬ ♪ ♫ mmmmm
And as for the Limerick trip, well that's another story ...
Upcoming gigs
Glasgow: Tron Theatre, Jan 20th, tickets
here
Naul, Co. Dublin: Seamus Ennis Centre, Feb 4th, tickets
here
Fergus's Tractor and the Christmas Geese.
It was Christmas 1988, I had flown from New York to London to do a photo session
and talk over promo plans for my up and coming album "The Sky and The Ground". I
stayed with Clare at her London flat in Holborn. We were now a couple and planned
on our first Christmas together. Once the tasks were all wrapped up, the presents
purchased and dispatched and the cards in the mail, we loaded up the Renault 5 with
everything we could possibly fit in her, including a portable TV and more than ample
food supplies. We knew that we would be staying in my family home on the Wexford
Quay, an unoccupied three storey house with all the furnishing and curtains intact,
almost as if my parents still lived there, a ghost house I suppose, but with remnants
still of Molly and Jem's warmth and all the songs, laughter and love that had permeated
its walls.There would be scant luxury, it had electricity and that was it, it would
be a bit like camping. But we'd be fine, we were young lovers and the idea of basing
ourselves in the large 2nd floor sitting room with windows looking out over the
bay and a blazing fire in the hearth seemed both romantic and bohemian. So off we
set for Fishguard Wales where we would board the ferry for Rosslare Harbour just
eleven miles outside my home town of Wexford.
It takes about five hours to get to Fishguard and another four on the ferry, even
though the latter is only a distance of thirty miles. So altogether it takes close
to ten hours. Clare of course organized everything down to the tiniest detail, including
bunks on the ferry and a meal in the restaurant, luxuries I had never bothered with
before.
When we landed in Rosslare it was dark and the harbour appeared all the more Christmassy
because of it. The multi-layered ferry glowed like a Christmas tree as we drove
out of her belly into the bustle of home-going travellers. We would drive out on
to the main road past the multiple warning signs in German and English "WARNING
–ACHTUNG- KEEP TO THE LEFT SIDE!!" It had been too common for Europeans to come
out of there exhausted from the journey and drive on the wrong side of the road
into an oncoming car in the two way traffic; being extra misled by their left side
steering wheels. Just a couple of miles beyond the harbour the road turns back towards
the mainland, bypassing the once popular beach Village of Rosslare. Being in a festive
mood and excited by Clare's first visit to Wexford, I suggested that we deviate
our plans for a moment and take the slip road into Rosslare Village. It's a place
filled with very fond memories for me, a place that I looked forward to as a child
all year long, when (provided my parents could afford the splurge) we would rent
a hut in Boyles field for the month of August. I guided Clare up over the hump back
railway bridge down past the white washed Edwardian summer homes, and up along the
main street lined with palm trees, past a couple of elite hotels with rear access
to the beach, that café on the corner where I would suck on a Brazil orange and
daydream to the village's only jukebox, usually preferring the B sides "Got a Feeling"
by the Mamas and Papas and "See that Girl" by the Righteous Brothers; I wasn't aware,
at the time, that the café was owned by Larry Kirwan's no-nonsense aunt.
It was dark now and everything was closed but for the hotels and the bars. I directed
Clare up past the golf course where we used to hunt for stray balls in the tall
grass, golfers were glad to buy them back at sixpence each. And then, just when
it seemed like the road was coming to a narrow end, I asked her to keep going around
the curve to the right where the water softly ebbed up to the stony edge. I got
out and swung open the farmer's iron gate so that we could go a little deeper on
into the pot holed gravel, I wanted to get us in a position where we could face
the car towards the sound and view the lights of Wexford Town across the bay. In
the pitch black with the car engine turned off, the whole scene was reminiscent
of a romantic movie; I was Cary Grant in An Affair to Remember bringing Clare to
my secret cove on the beach. We had a little puff of the funny stuff to amplify
our experience and put Pink Floyd on the stereo. Clare is from Brighton in England,
a much bigger town to mine, but nonetheless, a seaside town, with many similarities,
we pleasured in exploring our history while gazing at the dancing lights in the
distance. After about half an hour I looked at my watch and thought of my family,
"They might start wondering about us, maybe we better head in"
Clare turned on the engine, and began to back away from the water, we were not moving,
she put her foot further down. We moved even less. Realising what was happening
I asked her to stop and jumped out to take a look. The tide had come in a bit and
even though our back wheels were on solid dry ground we were not gaining traction.
It was then that I realized that Clare's Renault was front wheel drive. I looked
at the front and could see in the scant moonlight that we had only been digging
ourselves into a wet hole in the soft sand. I threw my jacket under one of the wheels
in desperation, that tide was coming in! All it did was spit the jacket out. Our
situation was quickly progressing from a curious problem to a possible catastrophe
of major proportions; we could lose the fucking car! There were no phone booths
around, we were a long walk from the nearest hotel, looking around in the pitch
dark there was nothing except silent sand dunes and black clouds overhead; no mans
land to Clare, but this was my country, I had been in Ireland's butt fuck nowhere,
before.
"Let's walk back a bit, I think I saw a little light deep in behind the bushes as
we were driving in here"
Sure enough, with our eyes now adjusting to the dark, a small yellow light was visible
over and above the dense bush. A little inroad became apparent, an entrance into
some kind of yard. We followed it in, and before us an old white washed outhouse
paralleled the road creating the familiar shape of what I knew to expect in traditional
farmyards. Over to the right standing alone where it had been built in far more
recent times was a small two-storey house. The woman of the house pulled the door
open without hesitation.
"Really sorry to bother you" It was beginning to spit rain now and the wind was
whipping up a bit too, I held the collar of my coat up around my eyes, Clare of
course was not the overcoat type, she had on a nice little two piece jacket and
skirt, she looked perished.
"We were down on the beach admiring the town whe…" "FERGUS!!!"
"Yes Mammy" Came a male voice in prompt response.
"Get the tractor will ye? dere's a nudder wan stuck in de sand!! "
We could hear someone rummaging around for something in the distance.
"C'mon in shur, Fergus'll be here in a minute"
"Mammy do ye know where the Battery is?" Fergus, a twenty something fine big strapping
chap comes rushing out from the back of the tiny house, with wellington boots up
to his waistline, raincoat, and peak cap.
"It's in the tractor already, shur I used it earlier when I was haulin up the straw"
An old man sat in a low chair by an open hearth fire, he looked bemused as he pulled
away on his white clay pipe. We offered our names and I explained that Clare was
English, but that I was a native Wexford man. She suggested that Clare sit down
by the fire while I go off with Fergus to find the car.
Outside, Fergus switched on an industrial strength lamp, it cut a bright beam through
the blackness and revealed a mud covered red tractor with those typical massive
wheels and an iron drivers seat with holes to let the weather through.
"Kin you hop on the tow bar dare, and hould de light out so I kin see what's in
front of me?"
I looked at where he wanted me to stand, and wasn't sure it was possible. It was
one of them metal yokes that stick out the back of a tractor with a knob on it for
hauling trailers, or eejits like us that were stuck in the sand.
"Just hang on to me shoulders, and hould the lamp out"
I did the arithmetic in my head, one hand to hould on to his shoulder and one to
hould the lamp, seemed to me like one hand too few houlding on to his shoulder!
But up I got on the slippery bar, and before I could think about it, Fergus had
the engine running and we were out the lane and bouncing along the beach towards
our sinking car. Desperation is a great leveller, I found the perseverance to stick
myself to the round bar, a nearly impossible feat, and I was practically having
a romance with Fergus with my left arm now wrapped ‘round his neck. It was hard
to believe that just twenty minutes ago we had been sitting in our London car listening
to Pink Floyd through a super hi fi stereo cooing at the view. Now here I was with
the wind and rain blowing through my hair hanging on the back of a Tractor like
a chariot, one arm around a strange man and providing his headlights by holding
a very heavy lamp up above his head!
Fergus was well used to the routine, in no time he had the rope in under the car
where it was secure, and that tractor effortlessly hauled the Renault 5 back to
solid ground. I drove behind him back to the house, where Clare was now drinking
tea by the fire looking absolutely puzzled by the old man's accent. I thanked them
heartily and grabbed a couple of bottles of wine from the boot of the car, they
seemed a bit confused about that, and I did wonder would they have preferred money,
but was afraid they would be offended.
"Really sorry for interrupting your evening, thank you so much, you saved our lives"
"Ah shur you're not the first couple dat got stuck down dare in de dark, people
do be up to all kinds of tings down dare"
She seemed to be suggesting that we were there for a bit of rumpy pumpy?
We pulled out of the farmyard and up on to the main road laughing at our ordeal.
We drove down past the hotels and the café and up on to the hump back railway bridge,
we were at its precipice when Clare announced with a slap to her forehead.
"Shit, we have to go back, I just realized, I left my hand bag in the bloody chair"
"Are you fucking joking me?"
The laughter subsided as we did a U-ee and headed back past the café, the hotels
and on to the old dirt road facing towards the once lovely view of Wexford town.
Clare sat in the car as I fumbled my way in the dark towards the distant light.
I sensed a strange presence, an odd animal sound was coming towards me, my inability
to see it increased my alarm. I quickened my pace towards the house, disregarding
my unsure footing, Honk!! Honk, honk, went the sound that drew me to look left.
Coming in my direction with their necks stretched towards me in extreme enthusiasm
was a gaggle of angry geese, I increased my speed dramatically and ran at full pelt
for the plain wooden door of the farmhouse. Fortunately Fergus's mother was expecting
me and opened the door before I touched it. She went over and got the purse from
the chair by the old man, who still sat in the same position by the fire smoking
his clay pipe.
"Fergus!!! Dem Geese are after de man, don't worry about dem, Fergus'll send dem
off"
Fergus came out and waved a backward hand at the Geese.
"Gi way outta dat"
They ran away, chasing there extended heads. Honk, honk, honk!!
I jumped back in the seat on the Renault with my heart still racing. Off we drove
again, down past the golf club, the palm trees outside the hotels, the café, and
over the hump back railway bridge, feeling a little exhausted now.
When we arrived in Town, I went into my brother Paddy's chipper, which was part
of our family home, to say hello and get the keys. We told him the story, he raised
his forehead and nodded a knowing giggle, I thought that he seemed to assume we
had been up to no good?
After being in Wexford for a few days, we gave up telling the story, everyone was
sure that we had gone to that dark quiet spot for a bit of nooky like all the other
couples that got famously stranded there.
"Ah yeah, Fergus! ah shur everyone knows him, he's pulled us all out, one time or
anudder! And dem feckin geese are like guard dogs shur"
Happy New Year all you lovely sausages. I am very grateful for your
support again this year. Love Pierce xx
Naul, Co. Dublin: Seamus Ennis Centre, Feb 4th, tickets here
Communication was a major problem for me when I came to America first - especially on the phone. My friend and roommate Bob Schwenk from Bay Ridge always found it hilarious when he witnessed my desperate attempts to communicate my name over the wire.
"Pee-ersss TuRRneR" Trying so hard to emphasize the consonants that my tongue was in a knot.
Irish people tend not to open their mouths too much when they speak. And where I come from it's almost a badge of honour to be seen withholding your clarity during conversation. It's important to be ordinary. And trying to communicate is fancy!
"A rale Wexford accent ain't supposed to be clay-er"
So I brought some of that stuff to America with me. No one could understand a word that I said at first. It seems to me that I got so used to no-one understanding what I was saying, I began to misunderstand what people were saying to me. There were numerous incidents where I misread what was being said; to such a ludicrous extent that the sayer appeared to suspect derision. Usually I wouldn't cop on until they were gone beyond apologetic reach. As I said, I believe that I was so nervous of being misunderstood, that I began to try too hard, causing me to elaborate on a simple statement. Small things; like a guy came up to me after a loud Major Thinkers gig in a crowded venue in the East Village called the UK Club - after you play a gig it's not that uncommon for people to approach you about joining the band - saying things like "that drummer is not right for you guys, I'm much better man!" or, "Yo , do you need a roadie?" On the night in question a bloke came up to me and said "Do you have a lightman?"
"No, actually we don't! Do you do lights?"
"What????" With a look that suggested I was being a smart ass.
When he left, Hammy, the Major Thinkers drummer fell around laughing.
"I think he just wanted a light for his cigarette"
He had disappeared into the crowd by then. I mean, we really did need a lightman! But that wasn't the worst one. By far the biggest mishap occurred at an Irish wedding in the Bronx. The groom was a big ‘Turner and Kirwan of Wexford' fan and managed to talk his partner into having us play at the reception. The only thing smart about his choice was that we were not expensive by wedding band standards. Wedding bands are expensive for a good reason, they know all the reception rituals, they can play everything from the top 50 to evergreens, including standards from a host of different cultures. It's a business, and they expect to be paid extremely well. A good wedding band could charge somewhere in the vicinity of three thousand dollars. I think we charged about three hundred. I believe he gave us a bonus of two hundred, we were so pleased, he wondered out loud if we were hard up?
"Ah no, but just the same, you're a decent skin and we really appreciate it!"
I suppose we knew that we were doing it for too little and had hoped he would do the right thing. We left a lot to supposition. It was some kind of a bare bones function hall, nothing too fancy. We brought our own Shure sound system and set it up in the corner near the entrance. We were a two man band in the truest sense, in that we were really loud and made the sound of a full ensemble. People were known to stand outside and say "how many musicians are in that band, do you think?" Usually the answer was three or four. Larry played bass drum and guitar while singing, and I played clavinet (electric piano) mini-Moog and hi-hat while singing. The drum and hi-hat were mike'd and the guitar and piano were over-driven, it could be a helluva roar.
So there we were in the corner setting up. I had to tune the piano almost every night. The clavinet has actual strings inside it on an iron frame with pick-ups. The beauty of this was that I could make it feed back into my fender tube amp, giving it that Jimi Hendrix effect. But when it was moved around and thrown in and out of a van, the strings would shift and slip out of tune. Each string had a screw at the end of it that I would turn with a short fat screwdriver. So there I was with the piano plugged into a strobe tuner tweaking away on the strings, getting them up to pitch, it was tedious and slow.
We had arrived at this bizarre line-up a couple of years previous while we were doing a summer residence down in Cape Cod. The owner of the place had seen us playing at one of his other places in Lowell Massachusetts and thought that we might be interesting to have on before the main attraction at his club on the beachfront. The place in Lowell was a two hundred capacity folk rock club where bands did residencies for a month at a time playing mostly covers. We were kind of folky at the time and sang Simon and Garfunkel stuff mixed with Cat Stevens etc. I can't say if we drew the crowd or if it was just a popular place, but I know that it went well and there was a lot of young girls there. I remember once, during a break, kissing some young one at a table and seeing Larry at the far end of the room kissing another. The accents were going over big time with the locals! We must have done well enough there if he offered us the Cape Cod gig. We were absolutely elevated, getting a gig at the Cape during the summer was sort of big time for a cover band, not to mention three months work with bed and board included. We had put our originals on the back burner for now, until we found our feet.
His club at the Cape turned out to be a very different scene than we expected. The headlining band was typical of what most of the clubs down there were presenting. A top notch cover band from Boston, they could re-produce Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" to perfection - the singer had a range like Robert Plant, the guitarist thought he was Jimmy Page and had learned every single note down to minute detail, even having the double neck guitar with twelve strings on one for the opening section. The keyboard player had a massive A.R.P Synth with a patch bay and numerous wave controllers, just like Keith Emerson. Naturally he could reproduce "Lucky Man" by ELP and the recorder part in "Stairway to Heaven".
They were loud and powerful with a full light show and a stadium size sound system. We were the mis-match of the century. And the owner didn't beat around the bush about telling us that he had made a mistake giving us the gig. Everyday we began playing at 3 p.m. to a few stragglers at the bar and a slowly filling room. He hoped that we would draw people in at that time, allowing him to start making money before the main attraction. This would also guarantee them a full house when they began, which would make them look good too. Unfortunately the crowd didn't know what to make of us with our little folky sound. We turned the Irish charm up to Disney level, but even that didn't seem to work. The main band liked us though and was beginning to feel sorry for us, we told them that we were afraid we might get sacked.
One day when we were preparing to play, the drummer told us that he had an idea that might up our sound a couple of notches. He explained that our sound was too small and if we were going to compete in this environment we would need more oomph! He had some old spare drums that we could have if we like. He suggested one of us could play Bass Drum and the other Hi-Hat! Without further ado (and without rehearsal) he put the Bass drum in front of Larry's right foot and the Hi-hat under my left. Off we went. Some songs we decided were better with, and some without. Clearly the idea had potential. It was exciting, and God forbid, maybe even had some originality. The next day we bought two drum stools and tied our new additions to the legs to stop them running away as we beat the living daylights out of them. Then we put microphones on them. Now we started to get louder. I started overdriving the piano and Larry got a fuzz box for his Ovation. Because of this we managed to hold on to the gig for the rest of the summer, not cos we were blowing them away, more because we were such good triers. By the time we reached that wedding in the Bronx we were creating such a roar that we sounded like Mott The Hoople. One audience member in Boston's Inman's Square Men's Club heckled. "Turn down for Christ's sake, you sound like a Boeing jet!" I suggested he go down the road and find a James Taylor imitator. Jon Moss, the Boston Globe critic, gave us a rave for the same gig. Apparently he arrived late, we were ripping into the climactic instrumental of "Travelling People" our most "Boeing Jet" moment, he had never heard two people sound like that. He gave us a critic's choice the next time we played there.
The guests were starting to arrive at the reception; I recognized a certain style about them and even knew some of them from seeing them at other people's gigs when we were out on the tare. I had a very bad habit in those days of pre-supposing what the audience would think of us before we'd even started. I decided that they were a straight looking Irish and Irish American crowd. And whether it was real or imagined I cannot say, but I believed that they were aghast upon realizing that we, were the band. There they were in their Sunday best, while Larry and I were in denim jeans and T-shirts with shoulder length hair. I imagined them negatively confiding.
"Please tell me they're not the band?"
The tension was building up in me now, my shoulders were up around my ears when this very straight looking older bloke came over to me and pointed at me.
"Is that a he or a she?"
This drove the fume that had been building up inside me to take complete control of my mind.
"Would you like me to take my prick out and show it to you?" I snapped.
Well that soon shut him up. He was absolutely astonished and walked away shaking his head from side to side looking dazed. Larry turned to me and said.
"What did you think he said?"
"You heard him! He pointed at me and said is that a he or a she?"
"No, I think he was pointing at the piano and said, is that an E or a G?"
I looked out into the once empty room, now filling up with guests arriving from church. Mulling over what Larry just said, it felt more and more like it was plausible that I had heard wrong. At first I had jumped to my defense in the heat of the moment.
"Gimme a break, why would he ask me what note I was playing?"
But then I thought about that guy's demeanor
"He was a little bit harmless looking to be leashing out insults"
I kept tuning the piano.
"In fact, he coulda been a silly Billy type with a miniscule knowledge of music, trying to show off and be all pally with the band - is that an E or a G? -He was smiling after all! And my reply was; do you want me to take my prick out and show it to you? JESUS CHRIST!! He must think I'm a really nasty bastard to respond like that to such an innocent, albeit, stupid question"
Larry said that we should start soon everyone was in. Thinking it would be best to start off easy, we gently tested the water with Tom Paxton's "The last thing on my mind" This crowd was up for it, they immediately hit the dance floor. I saw yer man going past doing some kind of a foxtrot, he was moving fast. I tried to get his attention while projecting the most congenial smile I could muster from my drum stool. But he seemed afraid to look at me. While we were playing he went by several times with many different partners, he obviously liked to dance. And even though I am aware that I was displaying some paranoid tendencies, I still could swear he was retelling the story every time I saw him, nodding his head in my direction and exclaiming something to his dance partner with an astonished open-mouthed delivery, which was met with an even more open mouthed, gaping, response of disbelief.
I never did get to apologise to him, and even if the opportunity had arisen, I wasn't sure what I would say. It seemed almost better to pretend it didn't happen, and with time I had almost convinced myself that it was an exaggeration. But Larry was there, and he confirms that it happened all right. Whatever ideas the guests might have had about us being unsuitable when they arrived, were certainly confirmed.
I wrote this song many years later for my Beggars Banquet album "the Sky and the Ground" I was inspired by that time in Massachusetts and New Hampshire when we drove around in a beat up old Dodge Polara that we bought for three hundred dollars. The song is about the futility sometimes of trying to communicate a belief or a line of poetry. We especially experienced it while writing a song, I might feel sure that a line works and Larry might feel not. There is no point in arguing, my belief was based on my experience not his. Eventually it would be ok for me to sing it, but maybe not Larry. These things are so subjective, and are contrived by our past personal experiences.
You can never put yourself in my brain
And feel what it felt like in a Dodge Polara
Speeding down a New Hampshire highway
Check out the gigs page
on my website for details of upcoming shows in New York (this Sunday March 12th), Wexford and Whelans in Dublin (both in June).
We were flying over JFK in the snow, Dublin had been a hairy experience, sitting
at the departure lounge with regular ding-dongs and muffled PA announcements.
"Flight mmmmm to New York is cancelled"
"Which one did they say?" Clare, looking as worried as everyone else.
"Fuck knows"
The lounge was looking pretty empty and those who were there; were scrambling to
check the monitors to see what was going on. It turned out that most people from
the cancelled Aer Lingus flight were transferred over to our Delta flight, and we
took off pretty much on time, with me wondering why JFK was fit for us, but not
for the other planes?
Now (seven hours later) I was getting the answer as we circled over Long Island,
waiting for the one runway that was open to be cleared of snow. The pilot had warned
us that we only had enough fuel to hang around for fifteen minutes, and then we'd
have to fly to Cincinnati! Fucking Cincinnati!!
"What was that song, by someone?"
"The Lights of Cincinnati, by Scott Walker, we used to do it in the Arrows, Dave
Heenan sang it, Dave's coming to the gig in the Harp, he's retired now, stopped
doing the cruises as a stand up"
"Well I'm afraid we have run out of time, so here is the plan that I have just received
from the ground, we are to head for Dulles Airport in Washington DC, where we will
put down and refuel. Once we have achieved that, it shouldn't take any more twenty
minutes, we will turn around and return to New York"
"Jesus Christ, I was just about to run up there and tell him that was enough circling,
I mean fifteen minutes worth of fuel"
Dulles, was dull, lots of anonymous jets sitting there with no logos, big tan-coloured
things, I wondered if they were government, odd but not odd enough to be more than
dull.
The captain again, speaking in low frog range:
"We are just waiting for the oil truck to come and refuel us now, shouldn't be too
long, once they fill us up we'll be out of here, about a half an hour or so I'd
say"
If he was any more relaxed he would stop. On comes a female voice, full of outside
world vigour.
"Hi my name is Madeline I am part of the Delta ground crew here in Dulles, while
we are here, if there are any of you who would like to get off, please hold your
hands up when I come round the plane and I'll do my best to sort you out".
Clare and I laughed, "Yeah right! Who's going to just hop off the plane here, I
mean it's not a fucking local bus".
Madeline, a tall young one with dark skin and a massive head of ragged energetic
hair came through the cabin like a whirlwind, addressing those who were interested,
and communicating with the ground through her mobile. To our astonishment a heap
of people wanted to get off. So we sat there, with the cold fresh air coming in
through the open cabin doors. A long queue of pale, over coated passengers formed
along the aisle with back packs and hand luggage, stacked up and waiting to get
off.
Madeline; " Those passengers who are getting off, your bags are now being taken
off the plane, you can pick them up at the arrival hall, you may need to show your
ticket tabs"
"What, Now we have to wait for their bags to get off"
I felt like going up to Madeline and saying "couldn't you have kept your mouth shut"
we were getting cranky now.
Pilot; " Well it turns out that the fuel guy was here, and just as he was about
to fill us up, discovered that his tank was empty, so he's gone back to get more
fuel"
"Is he joking? I mean this wouldn't happen on the Wexford Dublin Bus"
I decided to walk around, got talking to two flight attendants while looking through
the open doors, one was a bald sixty something year old, he shared stories of insults
that he received because of his age and lack of hair, one guy told him he looked
like Khrushchev, another said, within earshot, is this old guy really working here?
The woman had put my guitar in the closet when I boarded.
"My husband plays guitar too, he has a six string and a twelve string"
"Great, everyone has more guitars than me, I really just use one"
"What's a twelve string sound like?"
Before I could answer, she jumped in.
"It's a very specialized sound, you can't play songs on it, it's just for expression"
This was a very unusual way to describe it in my book, but couldn't be bothered
arguing. Still he was a nice bloke, and puzzled by her description.
"Have you ever heard a band called the Byrds?"
"Yes of course, and how kind of you to suppose I am too young to not know them"
"Well I always assume that everyone is too young to know these things, anyway the
sound of their guitar is an electric twelve string"
"Oh, yes I know that sound"
The Captain; "Well the fuel guy is back, this time with a tank full, and he is now
filling us up, however; we have been on the ground for so long now in the snow,
the wings have gotten iced up, so we need de-icing, as soon as all that is done,
we will close up and fly back to JFK"
I crawled back to the seat, disheartened.
"Oh no" said Clare. "I've been through de-icing before, it takes fuckin ages"
Another hour passed, I went up to look out at the de-icing, there was a black man
in blue overalls washing the inside of one of the jet engines with a mop. I decided
not to tell Clare (a nervous flyer) about that. We figured out that by the time
we got off the plane in New York we'd be travelling for over eighteen hours. Eventually
we got out of that big smelly hot thing, and just in time - it had run out of food
and booze.
So after all that, you better be planning on coming to the Harp on March 12th!
Of course I'll still love you if you don't!
Pierce xx
The new stained glass ceiling at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church.
Tickets are now on sale for my gigs in:
Not sure the five and a half hours sleep is going to cut it, three cups of tea later
and I'm still in a semi stupor. But the sun seems to have slept well! It wags its
tale and throws shape n shadow dancing down the Avenue. It's a spring sun, accompanied
by the left-over wind of yesterdays storm, the temperature is perfect. You need
a jacket though; the crisp wind curls around the back of my neck tempering the heat
of the sun to a perfect balance.
We are packing our bags once again, all the gear for the gigs, and suitable clothes
for an Irish summer; will I need shorts, or an overcoat, sandals or boots? Ireland
is like a box of chocolates, you never know when you're gonna get wet.
However, I don't go there for the weather, and besides, they say the weather has
been good so far. And when the sun does shine there, it's a bit like it is
here today; fresh and beautiful, I love it.
We are there for the whole summer, except for a foray into England and France in
July. Tickets for all shows are now available, just click the links above. Whelans
are printing posters that say "Once more across the tables" we have had people hanging
from the rafters in this great club, with its upstairs balcony and feel of a small
vaudeville theatre - large wooden tables used to point inwards toward the stage.
As the club became more and more alternative, and drew a more stand up audience,
the tables went elsewhere. But, for us on June 25th the tables will come out
of retirement, and we will dance upon them, I plan to whip out some forgotten pleasures,
like 3 Minute World.
If you are alive, and in Ireland at this time, and if you like pleasure, like hearing
a whole house full of the most tuneful audience in the world, singing along, buy
your tickets now, the more tickets we sell in advance, the larger the band! Honest
to God.
So far every tour of Ireland has featured at least one house concert, people think
that I don't do it any more because I don't push it. I do have one in England
this year at Carol's house. Just to let you know that I am up for some Irish
ones too. Email me at claregturner@gmail.com if you fancy it.
Spread the word, love can't always be articulate.
Love and wisdom to all. Pierce xxxxx
Tickets are now on sale for my gigs in:
The first gig of this Irish leg, Cork! Started off as sweater, and became a cracker. Good sweat though, Otis Redding sweat, Bruce Springsteen sweat, that kinda ting, ye know what I mean? Because we were late the last time I played there, we set off extra early this time. We were late the first time because we got lost, Cork is a maze of one way streets, and I have no faith in my sense of direction anyhow. I did a lot of studying on the Google map, and almost understood where Coughlans was. But we got lost anyhow. It's on Douglas Street.
"Excuse me do you know where Douglas Street is?"
"Douglas Street?" scratches his head with the shopping bag hanging from his thumb.
"Ara Now, it should be around here somewhere, I mean Douglas Road South is over there"
"ok thanks very much"
Eventually after many's the dodgy looking housing estates (dodgy because they appeared to be going nowhere) and narrow one-way hills, we landed outside IMRO's venue of the year. It was a truly brilliant night. Especially inspired, and funny!!
Then I went to see my home county hurling team beat Ireland's toughest opponent Kilkenny, up at the Wexford Park, I love hurling, and this was a killer match. This Saturday (June 17th – 8pm) we will finish a perfect Wexford week at the St Iberius Church on the Main Street. The 200 year old organ is so sweet, in this great church, with its back to the harbour, one time the sea went right up to its back wall. The acoustics are incredible, and this may be my last gig there as it is hard work to organise. So if you want to experience this porous musical gem with our guitars wrapped in that beautiful organ played by Josh Johnson, with the lovely Paula Cox on vocals and percussion, Garvan Gallagher on bass, Mick Egan on acoustic and electric guitar, and myself on grand piano and acoustic guitar.
This same line–up will also be at Whelans with me on June 25th. It is years since the classic gigs at Whelans when people hung from the ceiling and sang like football fans. They are bringing back the old classic wooden tables, so I can slide along them like a lunatic. The Irish Times did a special offer for this event, running an ad every day for a week. They also compiled these quotes from Irish authors. Come outa the house, you've been in there long enough.
And as if that's not enough, I will return to London's Slaughtered Lamb on July 13th. Angeala De Burca will join me on fiddle, this is always a blinder, and happens rarely enough, God knows.
I need you, honest I do.
Love Pierce xxx
Tickets are now on sale for my gigs in:
Relax! It's not Manana exactly (unless you're reading this on Saturday). But I wanted to strike a balance between reminding you that it's on soon and you can get your tickets at the link above, and also give you enough time to organise yourself.
I'll be selling CDs at Whelans - I will leave a box of CD's on the front of the stage, if you want one, just take it and throw the money in the box (I trust you!). There is no other way to sell CD's at Whelans. Brian from Dublin wants to buy 10 Manana in Manhattan's – I will put them on the stage for you Brian, in a box that say's BRIAN !! That's you Brian.
It will be an early night, we will begin no later than 8.30 p.m. (doors at 8.00 p.m.) - the weather man says that it won't be barbecue weather, so don't hedge your bets. Brian says do Manana in Manhattan (will do) and You Can Never Know (will do) and The Sky and the Ground (will do) and be Jasus, the list of songs is falling off the edge of the paper. And I have no intention of falling off the edge of the tables!!!
Love from the sunny south east. Pierce xxxx
Tickets for London, on Thursday, July 13th
I am writing from Brighton in the UK, the weather here is positively South of France-ish. Staying with Clare's sister just up the road from the seafront where all the pop stars live, and the large white Crescent houses reflect the sun the way they were meant to. All of these things, the piers, the cotton candy, the boardwalk and the cafes with al fresco tables and chairs, were meant for this skin glowing sun - not the rain and windswept misery that usually infiltrates this summery town
Tomorrow I will run through my set for the Slaughtered Lamb in the lovely attic at top of Clare's sister's house. Just have to arrange the sound check time with Aingeala De Burca and the sound engineer Joe. Joe has been there for years, he's a cool guy with good ears and a great attitude. Some say that The Slaughtered Lamb was made for me and the way I perform, no stage, just a cosy corner facing out at a bunch of luxurious armchairs and sofas sat upon a comfy carpet. It's a cocktail lounge vibe, no fourth wall man! A great venue.
If you have cousins, brothers or sisters, aunts uncles, grannies or grandads living in London - be sure to tell them that it will be a great day for a Thursday, next Thursty day July 13th at The Slaughtered Lamb @ 8pm. Forecast is cloudy, so make hay while the sun hides.
Love Pierce xxx
Wexford: Mackens Bar, the Bull Ring, Thurs Aug 24th – 8 p.m., tickets here
Jesus where have I been? And are you still there my fellow suffering sausages? Don't all write back at once now, I know sausages are not aggressive, and if you listen to me, you are "manana" big time.
Of course I am being dry, it has been unusually dry in Wexford, maybe that's why, although I did swim in the rain last week. The water seemed to swell and become hugely quiet, an attractive Polish couple swam nearby with their three year old in wings "I have neffer swam in de rain beefora" the woman exclaimed. We have a good few Polish people in Wexford now, but I seldom exchange words with them, other than with a check out person at Lidl. One minute they speak Polish, and the next breath a thick Wexford accent "Not a bodder". But we were sharing this unique moment, and whatever division there is, was decimated. The clouds dropped low, almost within reach, and we felt warmer, it had been freezing. I felt a rush of excitement at the idea of us getting to know these new people, we were in this kind of bath together, wearing next to nothing. If we had gone this far together, couldn't we have dinner, fully clothed?
Alas it was not to be, the water pulled them that way, and we swam aimlessly the other. I ran to cover our clothes with a towel, the golden beach had turned brown and everyone was running away. I ran back to sea where I felt at one. The rain splashed softly on the calm grey water, the Polish family frolicked in the distance, deeper in, silent.
Gig after gig it has been marvellous of late, Whelans in Dublin was all I have ever wanted as a performer. Working on future dates now, heading back to New York in September. Before I go, one small gig that I have had my eye on in Wexford. Upstairs at Mackens in the Bull Ring they have a room that looks right up along the Norman Main Street - it has a sweet little piano - only holds 45 people. I am dusting off Mover and a Shaker, Groovy Hearts, Buried City of Love, Clowntown, Never Take Advantage of you. Iss gonna be a phun nite, I want YOU there so hurry up. More dates will be added, this is just to keep you ahead of the posse.
My friend Irene Lucchitti recently gave a paper about my work at a conference on Irish literature in Singapore - you can read it here
Wexford: Mackens Bar, the Bull Ring, Thurs Aug 24th – 8 p.m., tickets here
New York: The Beal Bocht Riverside, Saturday October 14th
New York: The Maritime Museum Staten Island, Friday October 20th
(more New York dates to be added)
(And ahead)
Cork: Coughlans, Thursday December 7th
Wexford: Greenacres, Friday December 29th
New York: The Beal Bocht, 445 West 238th Street (Graystone Ave.), Bronx, NY. Phone:(718) 884-7127. Saturday, October 14th, 7 p.m. Admission $20
New York: The Noble Maritime Collection,1000 Richmond Terrace, Building D, Staten Island, NY 10301. Phone: (718) 447-6490. Friday, October 20th, 7.30 p.m. Admission $20
Cork: Coughlans, 7 Douglas St., Cork. Phone: 021-4961751. Thursday, December 7th.
Wexford: Greenacres, Selskar. Phone: 053-9122975. Friday, December 29th.
Dublin: John Field Room, National Concert Hall. Phone: 01-4170000. Tuesday, January 16th.
I am back in New York and warming up for a few shows. I sat at my ould piano today and played a few tunes. It's the piano Philip Glass gave me in 1986, an upright Baldwin, it has crossed my mind to get Phil in for a coffee one day and get him to sign the bloody thing. It might be worth a few bob one day, pay for my trip back to Ireland. Ah Philip is too busy to sign pianos. One day it will end up in a bar or something and no-one will know that it was the little piano that could write operas.
I am not exactly overwhelmed with work here, busy of course (aren't we all) but not that many gigs. I had no time in Ireland, with all the house painting and scraping etc. Oh and gigs, to look for gigs. Left that house in good nick for the Choir Master from the Wexford Opera though, he stays in our house every year. We have other Orchestra members too - we had a viola player and a first violinist stay there when the orchestra was from Belarus. Our neighbour from across the street said they walked around in their underpants the whole time. We happened to be there when they arrived, two characters! I offered to help carry in their cases, big mistake. It came up to my chest it was so tall, it was fat and stuffed to bursting point, felt like there was a human inside there, and was the weight of a fully grown adult. Turns out there was a lot of canned food in there and bottles of vodka, we had to go back the next day to get something, and there was a big sturgeon laid flat out on the table staring at the ceiling.
For the Beal Bocht in the Bronx I am planning on doing the theme from the movie that I recently scored - "Emerald City". Bronagh, a star from the movie, is also a star at the Beal Bocht. Many people there will have seen it. It's three years since my last gig there, should be jammers.
I have never actually played in Staten Island in my life, as far I know. It has come about in a very circuitous way. But come about it has. Dawn Daniels is a very special woman that I first met at one of my shows. It turns out that she is the youngest sister of Dave Cook the great recording engineer who recorded the album The Sky and The Ground. Dawn produces performances at the Maritime Museum in Staten Island, and that is where I will perform on Friday October 20th – it's a beautiful room with sweet acoustics, Dave Cook will mix the show, a real honour. There is a piano, so I can do songs like "The Answer" from The Sky & the Ground. This should be very special indeed.
Time will tell, but I wish that time would speed, and heal the way it steals while it provides.
Lov you P xxx
New York: The 11th Street Bar, 510 East 11th Street, between Ave A and B. Wednesday Nov 1st, 8.30 p.m. Admission $20, Book HERE
On Sunday night, Gerry Leonard showed me how to get a beer out of the tap without it turning into foam. 'Just turn on the tap for a while and let it float down the drain, then put the glass under it'. It worked be Jasus, and to my astonishment it lasted all night! Maybe it was piped to a reservoir?
I hadn't seen Gerry in a long time, maybe as far back as 94. Now we were in the basement of a big Manhattan club over on the west side of the island, called the City Winery. It was a green room, stuffed with musicians, silver servers were lined along the table with blue flamed heaters keeping their contents warm. I don't know what was in them, but I could smell some kind of chicken and creamy sauce. Clem Burke, the drummer from Blondie was lashing into it, he seemed pleased. Clem had also recorded once with The Major Thinkers, and been in my apartment for parties. I said 'hi, man' and he said it back to me, no idea if he knew who I was, he was the drummer for the whole show last night. I barely recognized Suzanne Vega, she was all glammed up with a top hat over a wig of dark hair. We hadn't met since we shared the bill with Philip Glass at the same venue about 8 years ago. I told her that Gerry, who plays with her now, had reminded me of the time he mixed my sound at the Copacabana on St Patricks Day. 'Oh when was that, forty years ago?' 'No sixty years ago', I said with tongue in cheek. 'Well it was thirty years ago when I used to follow you around' 'Yeah I know, ah it was about 1994' 'Oh so that was about when he had just arrived from Ireland' 'Yeah, I suppose so'. I hadn't thought of it, but why else would such a fine guitarist, who played with Bowie for his last few tours, and co-wrote on his final album, be mixing my sound? He needed to make a living any way that he could. It was lovely to talk to Suzanne again.
Lloyd Cole stood next to me as looked up at the big TV screen, a close circuit view of the stage, we were keeping an eye on things. There was about 16 artists on the bill, we had to be careful to not miss our slot. Lloyd's twenty year old son, who had already done one song with his father, was sitting on a high stool with no shirt on, the way he had performed. He had the perfect guitar sound for what we were doing. It was Marc Bolan's 70th Birthday, two sold out shows of T Rex songs basically. Some of you will know that I recorded 'Life's a Gas' on my new album - that's a T Rex song. When I suggested singing that, Joe Hurley one of the organisers said that Suzanne Vega had already taken it (she did a great version too). So I sang a song called 'Seagull Woman'. Lloyd had no idea who I was, even though I toured with him, ate dinner with him. He had come to see me play with the string quartet and wondered if he could do that? I gave up on him, but he said I made a good song choice.
But Gerry Leonard and I rekindled our friendship, and I am wondering could we make an album together? Wouldn't it be cool to have Bowie's guitarist? And he is Irish, so he understands where I am coming from.
Nov 1st will be my last U.S. date before Ireland at a very low key place called the 11th Street Bar - between Ave A and B. Fred Parcells will play with me, and Cillian Vallely is offering to bring in the pipes. You can book here. It's not big, so don't be small about booking. This will be like a parlour gig in a pub, it ought to be magic.
I'm going now, I love you more than plum tart.
Pierce xxxx
Irish winter tour:
Cork: Coughlans, 7 Douglas St., Cork. Phone: 021 4961751. Thursday, December 7th.
Wexford: Greenacres, Selskar. Bookings via Phone: 053-9122975. Friday, December 29th.
Dublin: John Field Room, National Concert Hall. Phone: 01-4170000. Tuesday, January 16th.
Check out the official Pierce Turner Christmas gift/ gig guide:
Cork: Coughlans, 7 Douglas St., Cork. Phone: 021 4961751. Thursday, December 7th.
Wexford: Greenacres, Selskar. Bookings via Phone: 053-9122975. Friday, December 29th.
Dublin: John Field Room, . Phone: 01-4170000. Tuesday, January 16th.
It's a crazy morning in New York, I can feel the vibes in the air already. Walking into a restaurant, I changed my mind halfway through the door, when I noticed that the tiny place was full. Pulling back from the door, I backed into a woman who was right on my heels. "Oh sorry", said I, she threw me an impatient look and was about to say something, but withdrew after the first syllable, a vague sound - but not a vague suggestion. The message was clear: she considered telling me off - so what would she say? "Why didn't you put your brake lights on?" or " You are a stoopid human being?" Anything is possible in New York.
I have always said that being here, is like living with a large dysfunctional family. This woman acted like a sister who is sick to death of her brother, I mean what stranger would think of telling off another person for changing their mind to enter a restaurant?
Once when I was at a very boring Tom Stoppard play on Broadway, having not eaten since breakfast I picked up a Kit Kat in the foyer to give me some sustenance, sugar in other words. Clare and I sat in our tiny seats made for tiny people eighty years ago, way, way up in the gods. Squeezed between strangers on both sides, winter anoraks underneath us, handbags in between, scarves, gloves and hats filling every cavity. It was claustrophobic and vertaphobic, and it was hot! Really hot! The play was on its way and it was pretentious and strained - my eyelids became heavy. "Oh God I can't go asleep here". I know, find the Kit Kat! There are so many pockets in that blasted Canadian winter coat, will have to do this like a CIA spy, slippery and slowly I felt my way down the rough weatherproof exterior of my coat, feeling around almost every pocket before I found the right one. I pull the paper wrapper off it very carefully, so far so good, I'm now down to the silver, it makes a soft crackle. This play is excruciatingly quiet, I break off a finger, and let it melt in my mouth without chewing. All was going well, I think it's ok to go for another finger, a little less gingerly this time. They are in a boat now with an oil lamp, it's beautiful-looking, but what the fuck are they talking about? I reach for a third piece, thinking nobody cares what I do…… SMACK!! A woman sitting a couple of seats away from me slaps me on the hand with her glove, like lightning, without even looking. What? I mean, is she my mother? I tried to get her attention to express my astonishment, but she didn't seem to even give it a second thought. See what I mean?
So back to the restaurant, after leaving I went around the block to another place that I like, but there was a line outside the door. So I just walked back to the scene of the crime to see if things had changed, sure enough it had, there was plenty of room. So I sat down, read the paper and had some Italian coffee with a caprese sandwich, delicious. As I finished my breakfast, I notice the woman across from me is nasty with the waiter. Pointing at her empty plate she snaps "Just take it away!" dismissing him with the back of her hand. He brings her the check book and she starts foraging around in a small crumpled white envelope, she pulls up a five dollar bill and a few ones - with her coat off and seated I hadn't recognized her - it was yer one who almost told me off for changing my mind at the door, while she was so close she could have run me down. The waiter brought back her check in the black plastic book. She opened and removed the three dollars and put them back in the envelope - picked up her Sunday Post - pushed it into her bag, and chinked a few quarters on the marble table top.
I leave for Ireland soon, might be good timing. I love you more than Mozzarella.
Pierce xx
Tickets now available for my gig in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Tuesday, January 16th - just click on the link.
I walked into the spare bedroom and reached to turn on the light, but the light was already on. Strange discovery, but it happened before, recently enough. It's not that I couldn't see, I just wanted it to be brighter, even though I was only looking for a piece of cardboard to write a sign on.
We were having a New Years Eve Party, the musical theme was 1940s. Having had several NYE parties in the past, I had no ambition to struggle through my music collection to find something fresh and contemporary, yet familiar, not too racy or noisy, that would suit a generational melting pot of all age groups and taste groups. The1940s felt like a way to avoid all these issues, the music would be before everyone's time, so therefore beyond debate. Yet, it was good fun, bopping along stuff - Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and all that jazz.
As I was compiling the music, it began to feel a bit samey after a while. So I decided that it would be OK to stick in a bit of David Bowie, the rationale being that Bowie was born in the 40s. Just a couple of Bowie tracks - "Life On Mars" as a sing along, "Let's Dance" as dance along. But how many people know the words of "Life on Mars"? I don't even know them myself. So I googled em and wrote the chorus out on a big yellow card board with a black sharpie. This part – "Sailors fighting in the dance hall - Oh man, look at those cavemen go". I was a bit surprised, it turns out that I really didn't know what the song was about myself.
New Years Eve: The kitchen table was pushed into the corner, the lighting all sexified, packed full of friends all swinging and swaying. When I produced that yellow sign everyone sang, even older people whom I'm sure had little or no knowledge of the song. What a great party, how was yours?
I won't pull that sign out at the National Concert Hall on January 16th - but there will be other signage. By the time we get to the 16th, January will be trying enough, and God knows Tuesday will be as dull as …….Tuesday. Except for where we will be, beneath that beautiful chandelier in the company of Tuesday giants.
This is what a great friend wrote to his friends, please pass it on to yours: "I told my main muse Pierce Turner I would promote his gig in the NCH on 16/1/18 as a way to elevate spirits early in the week, early in the new year".
Reach for the light and make it brighter in 2018
Happy New Year.
I love you more than sage stuffing.
Pierce xxx
Tickets now available for my gig in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Tuesday, January 16th - just click on the link.
Here's what Hot Press are saying - will we see you there?
"Turner has been getting world wide critical acclaim for decades, with Rolling Stone Magazine describing him as "a cross between David Bowie and Joni Mitchell" and The Irish Times declaring him "one of the most important Irish artists of the last twenty years".
Many critics have commented upon Turner's uniqueness, something the Wexford native has joked about in the past.
He tells an anecdote about Adam Clayton of U2 once saying to him that surely being such an enigma makes things very hard.
However, he has discovered that his uniqueness has advantages too, such as the pockets of fans scattered throughout the World who he says are "fiercely loyal" to any project that he pursues.
In 2017, he began to play parlour gigs, an indication of his innovative spirit. He played in Mackens Bar Undertaker in the Bull Ring of Wexford Town and more when he returned to New York where he now lives.
He gets excited at the sell out crowds at these gigs, "I don't need large crowds, I love my audience for who they are, these are people who have the courage of their own convictions".
Pierce hopes that the bigger venue in the National Concert Hall will be "none the less intimate"."
Tickets now available for my gig in the John Field Room of the National Concert Hall, Dublin on Tuesday, January 16th - just click on the link.
Warming my feet before the open fire in Wexford, I just stopped rehearsing. The piano is over in the corner, away from all radiators, I'm perishing.
We'll have to go for a pint somewhere after the gig on Tuesday, where did we go the last time? Now's the time for the rest of the stragglers to buy your tickets, I will tare my soul out for you, can't wait, who needs the bloody thing intact.
BOOK NOW.
I love you more than Christmas Pudding. Pierce xx
New York sausages asking about my return should be aware of the gigs so far.
Sunday March 11th: The Saint, Asbury Park NJ
Monday March 12th: New York - Muldoon's Picnic (with poet Paul Muldoon and others) at the Irish Arts Center.
Thursday March 15th: New York - the American Irish Historical Society in Manhattan - a posh parlour performance.
Upcoming gigs:
Friday February 23rd, 8.00 p.m. The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co.Wicklow
Sunday March 11th, 3.00 p.m. The Saint, Asbury Park NJ, with Avon Faire and Fred Parcells
Monday March 12th, 7.30 p.m. The Irish Arts Center, New York, Muldoon's Picnic (with poet Paul Muldoon and others)
Thursday March 15th, 7.00 p.m. The American Irish Historical Society, New York.
Saturday April 28th, 9.30 p.m. Joe's Pub, New York (tickets not yet available)
Manhattan in the 80s, Pierce Turner © 2018
Philip buzzed me in. Buzzers were a luxury then. Some of us had them, but they seldom worked. Most of us kept our keys in a thick, knotted sock. Outsiders would shout up at the window, and we would pitch the sock down to them. Every day without fail, I heard the same voice shouting up "Yo Howie" outside the building next to me, he would shout it repeatedly in a thick booming New York accent. Eventually Howie would throw down the knotted sock. I didn't know anyone in that building to speak to, but I knew some faces, and had supposed some of their stories. Twice, the building caught on fire and they had to call the fire brigade. On both occasions Howie had fallen asleep with a cigarette on the go. The second time the building had to be evacuated at two in the morning. I looked out my front window to see a woman being carried down the fire escape in her nightie. Down below on the street, the entire occupants of the building were looking up in anguish. I knew most of their faces, and took a guess at which one was Howie. The one with the frail skinny body that I had decided was an alcoholic, struggled on his gout-ridden feet to angrily accost Howie, he swung a wild punch at his clueless nuisance of a neighbor. Someone held him back while he shouted angrily at the bed smoker in Italian. Eventually the fire was quelled, the army of fire engines went home, and we all went back to bed. The next day I heard it again "Yo Howie" And the knotted sock hit the ground.
Upcoming gigs:
Friday February 23rd, 8.00 p.m. The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co.Wicklow
Sunday March 11th, 3.00 p.m. The Saint, Asbury Park NJ, with Avon Faire and Fred Parcells
Monday March 12th, 7.30 p.m. The Irish Arts Center, New York, Muldoon's Picnic (with poet Paul Muldoon and others)
Thursday March 15th, 7.00 p.m. The American Irish Historical Society, New York.
Sunday, April 8th, 3.00 p.m. Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m. Joe's Pub, New York
Just dropping in to let you know that Hot Press (Ireland's foremost music magazine) are running a vote to find the All Time Top 30 songs from the south-east of Ireland. If you'd like to vote for one of my songs, I recommend The Sky and The Ground and you can vote for it here. You can register with the site just to vote - details are at that link.
And there's another gig just booked - New Haven CT on April 8th - the details are above.
Friday February 23rd, 8.00 p.m.: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co.Wicklow
I spoke to the Greystones Guide ahead of the gig and told them about some of my musical inspirations. You can find them here
(PDF)
Here are my upcoming gigs in the U.S.:
Sunday March 11th, 3.00 p.m.: The Saint, Asbury Park NJ, with Avon Faire and Fred Parcells
Monday March 12th, 7.30 p.m.: The Irish Arts Center, New York, Muldoon's Picnic (with poet Paul Muldoon and others)
Thursday March 15th, 7.00 p.m.: The American Irish Historical Society, New York.
Sunday, April 8th, 3.00 p.m.: Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m.: Joe's Pub, New York
Upcoming gigs:
Sunday March 11th, 3.00 p.m.: The Saint, Asbury Park NJ, with Avon Faire and Fred Parcells
Monday March 12th, 7.30 p.m.: The Irish Arts Center, New York, Muldoon's Picnic (with poet Paul Muldoon and others)
Thursday March 15th, 7.00 p.m.: The American Irish Historical Society, New York.
Sunday, April 8th, 3.00 p.m.: Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m.: Joe's Pub, New York
I had dinner at my sister Dolores's house, and she pulled out all these clippings from when I went to America first, this photo of Larry Kirwan and myself was the biggest surprise, I haven't seen it since it was taken for The Daily News in New York. Wish I had that bloody hair now!
I am getting ready to vacate the house. It's always a little sad. The cat has to pack his bags and head out to Castlebridge where he lives while we are in New York. He is all soft and furry as he wallows by the fire, he really has no idea that tomorrow is the last one before we push him into the case and take him across the bridge. Mind you, he soon gets over us. Once I had to turn back because I had forgotten something and he had already gone upstairs to bed - when I approached him, he acted like I was a nuisance.
We'll drive up to Dublin Airport, the news is sending out red alerts that there will be a mother of a storm, the mother of all mothers!!! We could be in trouble. Let's pray that they are as wrong as usual, the supermarkets must be paying them, the shelves were empty.
But when I get to New York, this gig on March 15th is worth looking at for a very different experience. My friend, the Detective Brian McCabe, who has the soul of an artist, has hooked me up with this. Brian is always way ahead of the pack. Look at this 3D view of the American Irish Historical Society where the gig will be, would you want to be in that room with the grand piano? That's where we will perform. It's an early show on a Thursday - 7 p.m., so come out of work, have a sandwich or whatever, and come hither for a classy St Paddy's Day Fix. And do a bit of noseying around too. Looking forward to seeing you.
I love you more than you deserve,
Pierce xxxx
Upcoming gigs:
Wednesday, March 28th, 7.30 p.m.: 11th Street Bar, New York
Sunday, April 8th, 3.00 p.m.: Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m.: Joe's Pub, New York
I haven't got the time to write this really. I'm rushing out to have breakfast with my friend Una Johnson, who is dropping off in New York for a few days on her way back to Ireland. It's snowing like a whore outside. The weather-persons usually make such a big deal out of something small, but they did the opposite with this. The dog wouldn't even walk in it, she kept trying to brush it off her face with a paw. I made sure she stayed out long enough to have a poo anyhow, God knows when we'll be out there again today.
Una is coming from the South by South West Festival in Austin, she is one of its Euro reps for music. She used to live right next door to me here on First Avenue, literally my next-door neighbor. She was with Phelim O'Lunney then, he mixed the sound for the Major Thinkers (our punk/ new wave band). Una was a great help to me when I was organizing the tour of Manhattan to go with my first solo album, 16 dates in Manhattan within a month. This was 1986. Una and myself went all over Manhattan, up to its very tip and down below Houston, canvassing places that we liked the look of, almost never conventional venues. We even booked the New Amsterdam Brewery over on the West River. Philp Glass was there and that great filmmaker that he made the trilogy with, Godfrey Reggio. Standing up on that huge, tall counter with the massive beer vats at my back singing "How It Shone" was a great moment, thanks Una.
After that I toured America with the Smithereens one time, and Graham Parker on another - we had great shows at Toads Place in New Haven, and on April 8th I will play at Café Nine in New Haven, for the first time since then. Fred Parcells will be with me, as he was then. We're getting in a car and driving all the way there, you better get in yours if you live nearby, twill be great. I am attaching a powerful photo by Kathleen Connally from our gig at The Saint in Asbury Park, trying to leave Manhattan!
And next Wednesday March 28th we'll be at the 11th Street Bar around the corner, that magnificent speakeasy back room with the piano. The last one was magic, they have been trying to get us back there since, this was the first and only chance. Twud be wise to book it now, we are keeping it down to 50 people. I love you more than my dog hates the snow, and that's a lot!
Pierce xxxx
Upcoming gigs:
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m.: Joe's Pub, New York
Friday June 22nd, 8.00 p.m.: The Grand Social, Dublin
Thursday July 5th, 9.00 p.m.: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday July 7th: Levi's Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
I got an email from Joe's Pub today. Joe's Pub is not a pub at all by the way, it is part of Joseph Papp's Public Theatre. Rolling Stone Magazine listed it as one of the top 5 clubs in America. So yes, I got an email from them today to tell me that I should shoot out an emailing to tell people about my up and coming gig there on April 28th. This is the new world of music. The artists are asked to shoot out an email. So here it is, I'm shooting at you!
Needless to say, it's important for me to get a good house when I play an important theatre like this. Artists from all over the world are beating down the walls to get a gig at this venue. This is a little along the lines of pledging to support a new album.
I have an extraordinary list of musicians who will be taking part in this performance. Fred Parcells will be there, the singers from Avon Faire and John Rokosny on guitar, the great Cillian Vallely will join us on uileann pipes - and we will do the theme from the recent movie that I scored, Emerald City. Mark Brotter is even threatening to join us on drums. I am working on a couple of new baroque pop songs for the occasion. It's gonna be a cracker. Another posh Parlour Performance.
Summer gigs in Ireland are starting to come together. It's been a while since we did the big parlour room at the Grand Social Club (voted Dublin's top venue) - that's on June 22nd . Joe from Levi's Pub in Ballydehob West Cork has been at me for a while to play in his little sweet pub - so I have attached it to my gig at Coughlans in Cork City on July 5th, from there I will hop over to Ballydehob on July 7th.
More to come….
I love you more than you think. Pierce xxxx
Upcoming gigs:
Saturday April 28th, 9.00 p.m.: Joe's Pub, New York
Friday June 22nd, 8.00 p.m.: The Grand Social, Dublin
Thursday July 5th, 9.00 p.m.: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday July 7th: Levi's Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
I was lying on the floor at the gym, the Asser Levy, a public gym, I like it because it's cheap, and because normal people go there. No annoying music, and no perfect bodies preening themselves in the mirror. Was stretching away on the ground there, when a pair of huge flat feet went by in gym shoes. Atop those feet, a very big man was stuffed inside dark blue overalls with "Staff" written on the back. He walked with the ponderous gait of someone who was jaded with their job. He was trying to shake off a piece of white cardboard stuck to his foot, turned out to be a glue trap, a cruel invention covered in very strong adhesive. He shook his foot, no go, he tried to pull it off, his beer belly got in the way of his stoop, no go, he leaned against a machine and tried to rip it off, no go. He tried walking again, it was really getting on his nerves, he was stuck to it! A fellow staff member howled with laughter and shouted "Look everybody, we caught one!"
What has that got to do with my gig tomorrow night in Joe's Pub, which still has tickets available at the link up the top there (and the link here, if your scrolling thumb is a bit stiff)? Who cares? It's just a bunch of stuff that happened!
I love you more than my abdominal core
Pierce xx
Upcoming gigs:
Friday June 22nd, 8.00 p.m.: The Grand Social, Dublin
Thursday July 5th, 9.00 p.m.: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday July 7th, 8.30 p.m.: Levi's Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Friday July 20th, 9.00 p.m.: Green Acres, Wexford
When the world insists on squawking
When the tone deaf have the floor
Close your eyes and open your mind
Listen to the first song you find inside
It's tax-free and in your own key
Arranged by you to suit your mood
Follow it through to a glorious landing
A priceless perk for those who can imagine
It's time for a song, a summer song of love
Once again, like then
In that Orange Coloured Sun
Down by the sea
There isn't as much time as I thought. In general, there isn't as much time as I think. I'm possessed of a forever mentality, no immediate rush, I'll get that ready for next year. Overwhelmed with ideas and plans, I scrawl them out on a notepad. The book (where's that feckin book?), an album of instrumentals (almost ready), a new album of songs (keep on demoing), a concert with a full orchestra (orchestrated by Liam Bates), a stage performance called 3 Minute World. With all the time in the world, it's no problem, I'll get to em.
But it just dawned on me that it's not that long to the Grand Social show in Dublin! There isn't as much time as I thought. Gather up the gang, time for another bang up crack with my Irish sausages. Spread the word, I'll hone in, and spring to the present. Got a new song for ye, and I'm twisting the others so that they are omni present, and possessed of a forever mentality. I may not kiss you, but I love you more than any new- born baby.
xxxx
Pierce
Upcoming gigs:
Friday June 22nd, 8.00 p.m.: The Grand Social, Dublin
Thursday July 5th, 9.00 p.m.: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday July 7th, 8.30 p.m.: Levi's Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Friday July 20th, 9.00 p.m.: Green Acres, Wexford
Yick, yick, yick, goes the blackbird at the top of the leafless tree. I wonder why it is leafless? Clare says it's dead. "Hmm, and yet it stands, way up high above all the living leaves, wonder why we don't' stand when we die?"
I start to imagine the possibility. Where would we put us, would we still have graveyards? If so, undertakers would have to use different vehicles - stand-up jobs, maybe like a chariot. And of course there would be no reason to change the dress code that we now employ for our wakes. A nice suit, shirt and tie, or her favourite dress, with full make-up of course, in both cases, as it is now. Or we could return to the original shrouds, when death was gender equal. Even big sturdy macho men adorned a gown for their trip to heaven, with nothing underneath of course, clothes wouldn't be necessary in either of the supposed destinations. The chariot would drive through the town with him/ me standing there in a black or purple smock (ecclesiastical colours) in full make–up, with the hair groomed back like Ronald Reagan or Teresa May, and nothing but the wind underneath. What if, like the tree, we didn't pong? Graveyards might not be necessary at all. We could be just stood in the corner, or sat in our favourite chair, to wilt away until we fall apart. Sitting here at the kitchen table with my morning cup of tea, as you can see, I have travelled to all kinds of crazy thoughts with my imagining dream-state. The blackbird continues to yick,yick. She sees Albert the cat languishing in the hot sunny grass, but Albert has no intention of pursuing her babies, he is a big softie. Still the old tree holds sturdy, would I rather be a tree?
I have more than three gigs coming up. And if I don't see you there, I won't see you at all. I have got my songs and my stories, and my love for all of you, only you and I can share what this is. And no matter what happens, the memory will stand for a long time, just like the tree. Build your memories, they are our foundation for the present. I am coming with fire in my belly, like a jumping jack flash!
And I love you as much as I love the Stones. Dublin next week! Weeha.
Pierce xx
Upcoming gigs:
Friday July 20th, 8.30 p.m.: Green Acres, Wexford. Tickets for gig only here. Tickets for gig and 2 course meal here.
Thursday August 18th, 9.00 p.m.: The Hole in the Wall, Kilkenny
Just got back from a couple of gigs in the West. Hit Cork City, then drove south west to Ballydehob, or as I call it, Ballydequityourjob, ‘cos it seems like most people who live in this idyllic little haven have moved there with the wisdom of a Buddhist monk. I am sure that the waiters in the little café across the street from Levi's Corner House, were hoarding PhD's in their biscuit tins above in the attic.
Joe from Levi's found time to run this great spot, share the minding of his beautiful daughter Johanna, one year and three months old, going on PhD. His wife Caroline had a laptop attached to her as she levitated around with the calmness of a Ballydehobian, doing some kind of computer work and minding Johanna, as well as helping with the shop. Joe's mother Joanne, always seemed to be leaving as she was staying, and you'd be mistaken to think she didn't have the run of the place. I asked Joanne could we put the TV on to watch England playing Sweden. Caroline, Joe and little Johanna were at the Farmers Market in Skibb (Skibbereen) and like all TV's, their TV didn't like strangers trying to turn it on. It didn't even recognise Joanne.
"Ara don't worry about it Joanne" said I, picking up the Cork accent.
"Ara no, I'll give Joe a call"
I really didn't want her to go through all this trouble for me, and didn't want to interfere with Caroline and Joe's fun at the market. Mike and I went in to set up the gear for the gig, Joanne kept fiddling away, she was intent on sorting this out. We were hammering out my loudest song "The Sky and The Ground" with the drum machine at full wallop, when Joanne came in and said how wonderful it sounded. Because she is a Mammy, I half-expected her to recoil from the volume, but no! She loved it, and said I should stop while I was ahead.
"You'll be worn out"
Off she went inside to have another go at the telly.
"I figured it out" says she, "It wasn't plugged in! How the hell could it work if wasn't plugged in?"
It was 3 p.m. and they were singing God Save The Queen. I made up a salad and sat down to watch, thinking how great Joanne was for going through this much trouble for Mike and myself. To my surprise Joe's mother sat down too, folding her arms she became engrossed with the proceedings, she meant business. I wondered how long she would last, she lasted!
"Ara how could he miss that? He shoulda just kicked the bloody thing. Ah shur he's way offside for God's sake."
He was! And the bloody Ref didn't even see it.
The sun continues to be lost, it must've confused Ireland with Spain. Long may its little happy head be muddled, for we are a gladder people, if this goes on we might even play like the Spaniards and win the World cup.
Next week … Wexford, the centre of the universe. The beautiful Green Acres even has air-conditioning, not put in there for us mind you, it's for the art, but we get to use it anyway, so cool beer and wine with cool air. I'll have something new for you, and we will sing Orange Coloured Sun in the summer of our lives.
Another gig just added, the AKA Festival Kilkenny in an Elizabethan pub called the Hole In The Wall, only holds 50.
I love you more than I can remember.
Pierce xxxx
The Green Acres show will be dedicated to my dear friend Michael Carroll who sadly died last month, still a young man - Michael helped me hugely through I.T. snaggery, he was such a special person. And to his beautiful young family who must be so heartbroken. We love you Michael - hope you are getting to the bottom of one of your great passions, the paranormal.
Upcoming gigs:
Thursday August 9th, 9.00 p.m.: The Hole in the Wall, Kilkenny
Friday August 24th: Tea Lane Chapel, Celbridge. SOLD-OUT Parlour Performance. To get on the cancellations list for this intimate performance in a unique setting, contact Frank Phelan at 086-8167193.
Mid-September to early November: Available for house gigs in the UK - Email me!
Friday, November 2nd: Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London, W1F 7ED
December: Available for house gigs in Ireland - Email me!
Friday, December 7th: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
The tropical weather has subsided now in Ireland, we had a full day of rain yesterday and it was spitting a bit this morning. The grass is grateful and I'm pleased for it, the poor thing had turned to the colour of sand.
It's half past six on Monday July 30th, the bright yellow south-eastern sun cuts through the net curtain into the sitting room of our bungalow on Davitt Road South. Outside the air has returned to the more common texture that we are accustomed to, cool and fresh with a hint of moisture, perfect for an evening walk by the water, but not for a swim. Not a bother though, I have clocked in a lot of swimming time already this summer. Won't do me any harm to stay dry for a few days.
If you are in Ireland, my next gig will be the opening night of the AKA Festival Kilkenny at the beautiful Elizabethan Hole In The Wall on August 9th.
If you are in England, I will be over there from mid September to early November, excited to announce that I have been asked to perform in Piccadilly Circus at Brasserie Zedel on Nov 2nd at 9.30. Tickets don't go on sale until September, save the date, this place is stunning.
While I am wandering around the UK I would love to pick up some house gigs, let me know if you fancy one. The same applies to Ireland in December, I would like to do some private Christmas gigs, write to me here. It goes something like this:
Not on December 7th though, I will be at the Hot Spot in Greystones on that night.
I love you more than you love yourself.
Pierce xxxx
Mid-September to early November: Available for house gigs in the UK - Email me!
Friday, November 2nd: Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London, W1F 7ED
December: Available for house gigs in Ireland - Email me!
Friday, December 7th: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Friday, December 28th: Greenacres, Wexford
I grew up by the sea, it lived across the road from us on the quay, upstairs in the sitting room with that blazing fire at my back, I often peeked past the curtains at its commotion. From my bedroom on the third floor, the seagulls announced the dawn with their yelps as they circled the Dutch coal boats in pursuit of their morning slop.
Now I am in Brighton U.K. where the seagulls play a much bigger part than they did in Wexford. Their announcement of the dawn is like the sound of an advancing army, thousands of yelps, squawks and baby squeaks of laughter, many Brightonians would like to mow them down, or make them wear diapers at least. Sometimes you can hear the blood-curdling, banshee-like wail of a fox as she fights with a Mammy gull. I am told the foxes go after their babies, and that sometimes the gulls go after the fox cubs. I go out and there is a baby gull standing on the roof of the car, right in the middle, like an ornament. I know it's a baby because it is not white yet. They are beautiful animals, but they leave their mark everywhere, long brown splatters mixed with subtle feather clings to almost every available glass surface. Shat-upon windows are more common than untarnished ones.
Down by the beach (if you don't presume a beach to mean sand) they stand still in the wind, like a suspended sculpture, it feels like you can reach out and touch them, and they seem unperturbed by that possibility. A live animal meditates within arms length, floating into the weather. I retreat to the café (pronounced caff here) on the waterfront, there guarded by canvas windbreakers. I consume a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea and think of what I should write to you.
I miss my American friends, how are you? I will be back in January; I look forward to seeing you.
If you are in England, I have a great gig coming up between here and France - November 2nd at Brasserie Zedel in Picadilly Circus, the very heart of London. This is one of England's great venues with a grand piano on the stage, it is the English version of Manhattan's Joe's Pub. In the meantime I am writing and sleeping and looking and listening.
And I still love you more than fish……. and chips. Pierce xxxxx
Friday, November 2nd: Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, London, W1F 7ED
December: Available for house gigs in Ireland - Email me!
Friday, December 7th: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Friday, December 28th: Greenacres, Wexford
"Two flat white coffees please". I am standing there at the Meeting Place on the Brighton sea front, waiting for the coffee, when I look over and see Clare in a tizzy, half-wanting to keep an eye on the sea and half-wanting to get my attention. "What the hell's up with her?" I thought. Right then, the coffee arrived and she was pleased to see me coming towards her.
"Look!" she shouted, and everyone else looked too. I looked out and saw the beaming sun burning like a spear through the water - very near to shore two fishing boats circled in pursuit of their catch. But we had already talked about that, what else was there? There was obviously something, everyone was oohing, then I saw its grey shiny shape, the classic body of something I had never seen in real life before, a dolphin, only about one hundred metres out. It leaped way up and smiled at us, sandwiches were dropped and eggs were stopped as the whole outdoor restaurant smiled with delight back. Clare says that through all her life growing up in Brighton, she never had never seen a dolphin in the sea. Someone gave us something for free on Brighton's front of sea. I challenge anyone to still be angry with life after looking at that sweet animal smiling.
I ain't no dolphin, but I promise to bring all the love I can muster to Crazy Coqs live at Zedel in Picadilly Circus next Friday at 9.15 - I have a new monologue about Wexford that I have written to start with, and from then on I will jump up in the air and smile at you, singing all kinds of new and old songs. You won't get me on the Tellee! And there's a grand piano. Parlour scene supreme. Get em while they last.
I love you more than you believe.
Pierce xxxx
Saturday, November 24th: Parlour gig in Ennis, Co. Clare. Phone Bernard Dowd at 087 - 4686578 for details
Friday, December 7th: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Friday, December 28th: Greenacres, Wexford
I have a friend who does a sock and a shoe, and a sock and a shoe. He was very annoyed when we all laughed at the idea, and I have to admit it's a bit odd that we all thought it was so odd. It's such a minor thing, isn't it? Who cares how anybody puts on their shoes and socks, who ever said that there was a right and wrong way? No-one ever told me to put my socks on first and then the shoes, it's not any quicker. In fact, if something were to go wrong, like the building catching fire, it might be better to have one shoe than none, of course you'd have to hop out of the building, but if the ground was hot, it would be helpful.
But what is so odd is our assumptions that the way we are doing it, is the only way. I remember being equally shocked when a friend of my brother's said that in his family they did not put butter on the bread before the jam. He didn't see why it was necessary, what had butter got to do with jam he asked. I once told my brother (the same one) that I hated if bread was soggy, never would put tomatoes in a sandwich, because it would get wet. Then I explained that I never have food in my mouth, especially bread, when I drink tea or any liquid, he just didn't believe me, after I insisted, he thought it was really odd.
Of course, since then, I have found that there are many odd enough things about me, one of them is that I like to play in parlours - not exactly the road to world domination. Furthermore, I have no desire to dominate the world. I have had letters of disappointment from people who are great supporters, regarding this. "Just give it one more major push Pierce, please." It's hard to be a fan of someone's music, if they are in a vacuum, it takes a bit of courage to say I like this guy that no-one ever heard of.
After my recent London gig (thanks to those who were there, great gig) a woman with a London accent came up to me and said she had really enjoyed the show, but "when I called my Irish friend and told her excitedly that I had tickets for you, she said that she had never heard of you, I was gutted". She then made an expression that seemed to suggest she had been cheated by the (real) quotes and the blurb in the fancy brochure for Crazy Coqs. Even though she loved the show, she felt unfulfilled because her excitement wouldn't hold water when it came to delighting about her experience, because I wasn't well known. I gave her the answer that I always give about her friend: "well she's heard of me now!"
Bernard Dowd, who is hosting a parlour show in his wonderful converted schoolhouse in Ennis Co Clare, has asked me to give his number out for anyone who might want to attend. Knowing that I seldom play in that area he is saving 10 spaces, so here it is - Bernard Dowd in Ennis, Co Clare, 087-4686578. I am playing there on Saturday November 24th.
I love you more than my upright piano. Pierce xxx
Friday, December 7th: The Hot Spot Music Club, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Friday, December 28th: Greenacres, Wexford
I'm back from County Clare, it's four and a quarter hours from there to here. Bernard, who was hosting the gig in the old reformed school house in Maghera, warned me that there were several Maghera's and that everyone gets lost looking for his place. This information put me into a bit of a panic, because Mike and I are now known throughout the world as the team who always get lost. I went straight to Clare (my wife, not the county) with this issue and pleaded for help, she is pretty good at this kinda thing. A day later Clare handed me my phone and said that she had programmed Maghera into it. And yes there was one in Northern Ireland, and that this was the right one, she had tried putting in St Stephens Church, which was next to the Old School House, but Mrs Google said NO! Happy with her assertion that we were covered, I left it at that.
First we had to get to Limerick, that was easy enough, and then we turned on Mrs Google. She sounded confident and even though she speaks with an American accent, she seemed to know her way around County Clare well enough. She told us we were an hour and ten minutes away, great said I to Mike, we are going to be early!
The road signs began to indicate names that Bernard had mentioned in his warning about the different Maghera's, there's one up on the mountain too, he said, "where there is an R.T.E mast, but we're nearer to Tulla", said he, and I was heartened to have seen a sign for Tulla. Now the road was getting narrower, and the sun began to descend behind the silhouetted trees and muddy sky. Tulla became nearer and nearer, and I cheered Mike on. "We are really close now" says I to Mike, who was doing the driving. "Only five kilometres to Tulla" "wee-haw" cried he, in mock cowboy.
Several clicks later, Mrs Google gave us a new command "Veer slightly to the right in two minutes". What happened to distances, I thought to myself, shouldn't it be a hundred yards or whatever? But there it was, a kind of slide to the right, we took it and descended down a small hill. This was a very narrow road, only fit for one car really, an S.U.V came towards us with the attitude that we were invisible, we pulled into the ditch, my passenger side buried itself in the wild thorny bush, we heard an aggressive thump, the S.U.V hadn't bothered to slow down as he banged our side mirror back and went upon his way. We had been climbing hills for a while on our previous narrow road, now we were climbing again on an even narrower one. Bernard did say that he was a good bit out. On we went for about fifteen minutes, and then Mrs Google instructed us to take another right in a couple of minutes. This was a different matter completely, as soon as we turned on to it, we could see that it was a whole other class of ruggedness, we expressed some consternation out loud to each other, but like the good lapsed Catholics that we are, went onward.
It was down a road with pools of mucky water and undisturbed rocks, in fact the road appeared undisturbed, like maybe no one ever went near it. We kept going, Bernard said it was a good bit out. We came to the bottom of a muck hill and were on our way out of it when Mrs Google said "You have arrived" "What?? Are you fucking joking me!" There was nothing, more of nothing than I had ever seen. Empty black fields behind stark briary bush, scarecrow trees, mucky ground, mucky skies, and a moon that badly needed charging. We were alone in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly it felt a bit frightening, could we get out of there? And if we could, where were we? Why was Google maps saying that this was it? I got out just in case, to take a look across the fields, maybe this was it? Bernard did say he was a good bit out, Nope, not a light or a lamp to be seen for miles.
We needed to turn around and get out of there, how? Mike remembered that there was an old gate back there where we could probably turn. We were backing up through the slippery mud and deep puddles, when Mike said he wasn't sure if it was front wheel drive or rear, panic again. I got out and directed him, slipping in the muck and covering myself in it. We turned around and made it back to the road, where a man was building a new house in the dark with a floodlit digger. "We were in the middle of nowhere" said I to him like a broken man. "Well you'll have to go back to the middle of nowhere agin", said he in a thick Clare accent, pronouncing Maghera "Mowra". I put St Stephens Church into google, and this time she recognized it because we were so near. We found it! and now I have to stop and rest. Phew!
The gig? Oh, that was grand!
I love you more than Google.
Pierce xxx
Friday, December 28th: Green Acres, Wexford
Sunday, March 10th: The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
Sunday, March 17th: Joe's Pub, New York, NY
I'm going around here, where am I going? Nowhere! I'm just looking for a place to stop, a place to park. It's Christmas time in Wexford and the town is swamped with cars and dogs and buskers and shoppers, and them Christmas songs pouring from little horns overhead. There is an ice skating rink on the Quay, and a children's choo choo train on wheels, all lit up and sparkling, only the bored driver sits inside, but it goes around just like me. I dropped Clare off in the Bull Ring, the most central place, and went off looking for a parking place. I have a gig here in town at Green Acres, that's on December 28th.
I drive up Cornmarket past Paddy Kelly's furniture shop, it's been there for decades, they used to sell clothes in there too. Manly stuff -wellingtons, corduroy trousers and sports jackets. Every summer my father would require a pair of summer trousers and a new sports coat, clothes suited to the hot weather (sic). However he was a bit shy about fitting things on, so my mother would go there and order an assortment to be sent down to the house. He would try them on in the kitchen and my mother and sister would pass comment, it was a common practice all over town. Lovely people the Kellys, they seem to be surviving with the furniture thank God.
I go back down Abbey Street past Whites Hotel, nice decorations in the bar, not that many in there though, down past Selskar Abbey from the 1100's (no roof now, for tax purposes) and shit I'm off on the one way street roundabout again, back down past Dunne's and on to the Quay again.
There's a spot on the right-hand side going in the opposite direction, but I can't swing over there because so much traffic is coming off the bridge. And on I go, shit I'm going up past the Bull Ring again - I am sweating now from a singular position. God I have got to get rid of this car, I would do anything, and if someone said ‘you can park here but you can't have the car back' I would say ‘OK' I swear.
Up past Kelly's again and and and…… what!!! There's a spot, I pull in and put money in the meter, and think, ‘Now what'll I do, what was I out here for?"
Are you coming to Green Acres? If you are home for Christmas and live within 40 miles, I expect to see you. We have a grand piano on stage and an upright out in the audience, Mick Egan will play guitar with me and we'll sing together, and laugh and drink all kinds of fancy wine and beer, work off some of that dinner in the process. Back to New York at the end of January with Joe's Pub on March 17th. That's one of the top five venues in America, in spite of the humble name.
I love you more than Paddy Kelly's.
Merry Christmas.
Pierce xxx
Thursday, January 24th: Macken's Bar, The Bullring, Wexford. Tickets from Wexford Arts Centre, Phone: 053 912 3764
Sunday, March 10th: The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
Sunday, March 17th: Joe's Pub, New York, NY
Saturday, March 30th: Randy Now's Man Cave, Bordentown, NJ
Date TBC: 11th Street Bar, New York
May you have a peaceful, joyous and prosperous New Year, and may your mind be only on what is now.
Pierce Turner - Reggae Clancy Tour 2019 is building.
Stephen Holden writes in the New York Times: "Mr Turner's best songs feature old-fashioned narrative folk melodies with a strong Celtic flavor and chatty idiomatic lyrics, many of which remember Wexford with affection. In performance, Mr. Turner is more than just a chronicler of his home-town memories. He is a transplanted Irish folk vaudevillian who jubilantly evokes a high-spirited village ambiance, even jumping up on tables. Mr. Turner's best songs, such as ''Orange Coloured Sun,'' ''How It Shone,'' ''Wicklow Hills'' and ''Groovy Hearts,'' are substantial folk ballads with quirky lyrical images and the kind of whimsicality one associates with Ray Davies of the Kinks"
Wednesday, February 20th: 11th Street Bar, New York - 510 East 11th Street between Avenue A & Avenue B
Sunday, March 10th: The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
Sunday, March 17th: Joe's Pub, New York, NY
Saturday, March 30th: Randy Now's Man Cave, Bordentown, NJ
We had a 60's party for New Years Eve up here in our Davitt Road bungalow. I say up, because we are the middle of the hill that rolls up from the waterfront, or the sea front, or the Quay, depending on where you are from. And I think of myself as being from the Quay, although I lived up here on the north end of this road until I was nine. All beside the point really, but I just thought that I would tell you anyway.
We had a forties party last year, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw and other more obscure jazz stuff a la Ken Burns, that went well. I wanted to try a different decade this year, after considering 70's and 80's I wondered aloud, why am I skipping 60's? After all, might that not be the great decade that has influenced every musical decade since? Still it was hard work, it seemed like a lot of the great tracks have been getting too much exposure, so I had to dig deep. While digging, I came across Doris Day singing "Move Over Darling":
I was surprised, thought that she was maybe dead by then? It turns out that she is still alive today, never mind back then. So I looked at a biog on Youtube. To my surprise Doris was a singing star in her early teens,singing in big bands from fourteen on, having hit records before she was twenty. Then she reluctantly starred in a musical movie, she was reluctant because she had no belief in her acting ability, and had never tried it. She did a few more and they were very successful. She became a huge box office attraction. Then she was asked to delve into drama, to act opposite Kirk Douglas in a movie about a famous American jazz trumpeter, the movie was called "Young Man With A Horn."
Now if you are Irish, you will be falling around the floor at the idea that a movie could be called that, in Ireland we could never make a movie called "Young Man With A Horn" - Ireland is not known for its jazz trumpeters. There are many sayings that change their meaning upon crossing from America to Ireland and vice versa. "Park and Ride" for instance, is the equivalence of saying "Park and get laid" in Ireland. To understand the translation of "Young Man with a Horn" you would need to look at the Wexford English Dictionary to understand: horn 1 a; a projection on an animal's head. 2 b; is a physiological phenomenon experienced by men in which - ah sure, you know yourself.
I leave for New York on Thursday. New American gigs are falling into place, most urgently the great under the radar speakeasy at 11th Street bet Ave A and B - away from the traffic but not the fun. They have now upgraded the sound system in that cool back room. Tickets are available here. This will be my first New York gig in nine months, I look forward to seeing you, send requests. You have two weeks to practice, I'll see you there.
I love you more than you love me. Pierce xxx
And of course these other stellar shows including my Clancy Brother Special at Joe's Pub on March 17th - worth noting, St Patrick's Day is really on March 16th this year, that's the day of the parade. So the city won't be a zoo on the 17th.
I hope you will be my producers again, without you I would not be a recording artist. After all, I do love you more than my doctor (easily)
Pierce xxx
Wednesday, May 15th: 11th Street Bar, New York, NY
Saturday, June 8th: The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
When I was 16 I ran my mother's record shop in Wexford - it was her money that she had earned from her second hand clothes shop and B&B - and my record shop I suppose. I listened to everything that we had, from My Fair Lady to Velvet Underground, found something to like in every genre. Of course very little of the heavy stuff was available in Wexford. Showbands were the main source of live music, and through the good ones I had had access to high quality pop like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, reggae, ska and soul music. But there was a folk movement on the go that brought me something deeper and actually more in line with Velvet Underground or early Pink Floyd than all else. Bands like Emmet Folk and ultimately Emmet Spiceland, Christy Moore would have been in there too. They were singing these mysterious and beautiful folk songs like The Curragh of Kildare, Dainty Davy and Bunclody. As a young songwriter, I found these songs to be a huge inspiration, it was in my DNA to write like this, and so I did, melting the influences of Pink Floyd's Arnold Lane or the Beatles Eleanor Rigby to The Byrds 8 Miles High and even Otis Redding, with the influence of songs like Lovers Ghost or Mary from Dunloe by Emmet Spiceland.
I have never stopped singing these songs, performing a song like Bunclody in the middle of my own songs. It has the effect of turning my songs into the greenery around a rose, the ultimate outcome is refreshing, and healthily humbling.
But putting all this analogy aside, all of this music is just floating around in the ether, some of us pull the different parts together and try to make something new, others choose to sing what is already written. It's a great pleasure to sing someone else's song, to choose the cream of someone else's crop, and I am at present engaging in that great pleasure for my next album. Michael Quilligan, my Limerick partner in crime for this fundraiser (he gets all my mailing to you and designs and controls the website) asked was this going to be experimental like my version of Dirty Old Town, or conventional.
"Imagine if Roxy Music recorded an album of Irish Folk Songs" said I.
"I can't!" he replied.
But, can you?
Coming soon my next studio album: "IF I SHOULD RISE"
But of course I can't even begin without you - my record company of the street, grant me your support, and I will begin. You just need to go here, and choose the reward you want. And, unlike previous campaigns, 100% of what you contribute will go towards the costs of recording the new album. More rewards will be added throughout the campaign.
Love Pierce.
Wednesday, May 15th: 11th Street Bar, New York, NY
Saturday, June 8th: The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Wednesday, May 15th: 11th Street Bar, New York, NY
Saturday, June 8th: The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Wednesday, May 15th: 11th Street Bar, New York, NY
Saturday, June 8th: The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
I first heard Monto sung by the Dubliners. I had heard they were great characters and my "cool" friends loved Luke Kelly, they also favoured The Who and The Lovin Spoonful, so their approval was notable. We went to the Parish Hall to see them, I was about sixteen and the Parish Hall was still a formidable venue in my mind. I had seen Roy Orbison there and the Tremoloes (who were a great live band, they started with a great version of Reach out I'll be There) and had unfortunately missed The Move, had a gig that night (that was a real bummer).
The Dubliners were a rag taggle of five mature men spread across the stage, beards and out of control hair was the norm. I think it was banjo, fiddle, and guitars, some penny whistle playing, all fine competent musicians. But the two main voices are what made them most interesting to me, beside their brusque, tongue-in-cheek attitude. Ronnie Drew sounds like an unhooked trailer being dragged along the ground, a sandpaper bass voice that is solely possessed by only one man, he sung with his head hung stiffly to one side while strumming acoustic guitar. They even had a hit in England (very rare for any kind of Irish band at the time, never mind these fellas). The song "Seven Drunken Nights" was sung by Ronnie and his voice was a first for BBC Radio too.
Luke Kelly was completely different however, he had a strong open baritone, there was no whispering or affected emotions about either one, Luke had a big voice though, he just opened up his voice and sang full out, you knew that you would be able to hear him without a microphone. He had a big shock of red curly hair, and was fit, he had oodles of charisma, unlike Ronnie with his big watery eyes and iron focus, Luke was loose and relaxed with a natural smile that stayed its distance, the kind that doesn't require a smile back.
Like most of these songs, I got the definitive lyrics from Robert Gogan's trilogy of Irish songs, this one was in the "50 Great Drinking Songs" book. In the book he explains this song is about the red light district in Dublin during the 1800's – Monto, stands for Montgomery Street, which was one of the worst slums in Dublin at the time "The red light district of gaslit, foggy and thronging streets" is the way Robert describes. The other Robert Gogan books are "50 Great Irish Fighting Songs" and "50 Great Irish Ballads" They all come with chords and lyrics, a brief history of each song, and a CD with enough of each song to teach the tune. I can't recommend them enough for absolute clarity and tireless research.
I'll be recording Monto and other songs like it on my new album – I'd love it if you were able to support our crowdfunding campaign.
Saturday, June 8th: The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Saturday, June 29th: Swift, New York, 6 p.m. Limited tickets available to a special performance as part of the 2019 Frank McCourt Creative Writing Summer School. Tickets $25 - only 15 available, pay via PayPal to piercenewyork@aol.com
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Sunday, September 1st: Whelans, Dublin
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Sunday, September 1st: Whelans, Dublin
Friday, September 13th: Tait House, Limerick - tickets going on sale shortly
Friday, July 19th: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Sunday, September 1st: Whelans, Dublin
Friday, September 13th: Tait House, Limerick - tickets now on sale here
Swift was a great success, bloody boiling though. I got it into my head that they were a Limerick-ee audience, and I performed the entire evening thinking that, what difference it would make, I'm not sure, but if it could - it did!
I told them that they surely knew where Tait House was in Limerick (where I will perform, on September 13th) and in general talked to them like they were all hurlers.
Joseph O'Connor said that it was a brilliant evening, and that the next day in class, conversation about the gig dominated. They had never heard me before, and they liked it, this was also confirmed by a spy that I had in the women's bathroom, she said that they said that they "really bloody-well liked it".
Then Joseph wondered aloud if I was disappointed that when I mentioned Limerick, there wasn't much response. I know, said I, how come do you think? "Because they're not from Limerick! They're all New Yorkers except for the lecturers, that is"
I am getting ready to leave, I better pick up some more gigs. I'm finishing the album as I speak, and if it's as good as I think it is, it should be as big a success as my others. Thanks to Rudy Giuliani we now know that lying is ok, so long as you are not under oath. Anyway, my last album was number one in every country in the Western Hemisphere and had more hits on Youtube than Ed Sheeran! My new album is liked by everyone, they all say it is going to be HUGE, in fact it's possible that it will be in the charts before it is even released! I know people believe me, people who know.
Back to work.
So pleased with Wexford - they were stunning against Kilkenny and are the Leinster Champions!!!! I heard Limerick were playing too?
I love you as much as a good hurling match.
Pierce xxxx
Sunday, September 1st: Whelans, Dublin
Friday, September 13th: Tait House, Limerick - tickets now on sale here
Sunday, September 1st: Whelans, Dublin
Friday, September 13th: Levis Corner House, Limerick - tickets now on sale here
Saturday, September 21st: Levis Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Friday, September 13th: Levis Corner House, Limerick - tickets now on sale here
Saturday, September 21st: Levis Corner House, Ballydehob, Co. Cork
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Also hatching a plan to get to London before the end of the year - stay tuned!
Thanks a million to everyone that came out to Whelans in Dublin last week for the launch of the new album. It was great to see so many of you.
The next stop is at Tait House in Limerick on this Friday, the 13th. Tickets for that are going fast, and you can pick up one of the last few here
And thank you so much to whoever put up the sign below, on the overpass near RTE in Dublin. All contributions to the promotional campaign for Vinegar Hill are very welcome!
xxx
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 8th: Tait House, Limerick
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 8th: Tait House, Limerick
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Tuesday, October 22nd: Wexford Spiegeltent, Wexford
Friday, November 8th: Tait House, Limerick
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Friday, November 15th: Coughlans, Cork
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Monday, December 23rd: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Saturday, November 30th: The Fiddler, London
Monday, December 23rd: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Monday, December 23rd: Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
Tuesday, March 17th: Joe's Pub, New York
"I'm not getting your newsletters any more"Tuesday, March 17th: Joe's Pub, New York, Doors at 6 p.m., Show at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 17th: Online gig through my Facebook page at 5 p.m. New York/ 9 p.m. Ireland & UK
As you probably know by now, one of the many side-effects of this coronavirus is the cancellation of so many gigs, including the scheduled New York launch of Vinegar Hill in Joe's Pub in Manhattan on St Patrick's Day.
I am reading the Woody Allen autobiography; he says that he's often had a problem entering places, that he would get as far as the door and then have a fit of hesitancy. I'm sure that most people have experienced this at one point or another, but it became a kind of phobia for him. On one occasion he got himself through the door but then found himself sitting dumb struck on a couch. It was a ground floor apartment on Park Avenue and the couch was next to a window, he seriously considered climbing out on to the street. I could relate to this, and I am not sure why I share this fear with New York's most neurotic celebrity.
"We've been invited to go to the movies with Elton and David"
"Are you kiddin me, where? What movie?"
Clare was John Reid's personal assistant at the time; Elton John's very successful manager. Up to the recent past, I had just been the husband bloke who was invited as a straggler to the occasional event. Most of the time I hated the experience, listening to music business people talking about other musicians, while I sat there like a spare prick, eating fancy food and drinking expensive wine. Then one day while I was backstage at an Elton gig, he noticed me hugging the wall, knowingly staying away from the backstage B.S. Obviously this made an impression on him, and from then on, we were invited to the inner circle, not something I sought, but who would turn it down?
The Paris Theatre was booked exclusively for Elton and his hand picked friends. It was a luxurious cinema, in midtown Manhattan. Paparazzi's and snooping bottom dwellers milled around the entrance, they studied us and wondered if we were someone. Long tables lay ahead of us with every kind of Chinese food that you could think of, catered by an exclusive gourmet restaurant called Mr Chow's. I wanted to fill a plate and go home, but instead I was going to have to be self-conscious and appear like food was of no interest at all.
People were spread out all over the theatre, 50 or so of us with 300 seats to choose from. We sat at the back in the darkest corner. There I was, digging into my Chinese food, thinking this is OK, no one has noticed us. When I spotted Elton and David Furnish sitting alone, way down near the screen, they were smiling and looking around the room, were they looking at us? Nah, can't be. They got up and started climbing the hill, getting nearer and nearer, stopping at the row in front of us and shimmying in sideways. I felt my mouth go dry, and quickly hid my plate on the ground. Kisses all around and painful small talk, they wanted their friends to see how great this new movie "Trainspotting" was, I got the feeling that they were mining the field for non-superstar friends, longing for contact with the outside. If they went out, they would be mobbed by parasites. This is why I hesitate at the door, who wants to be trapped in that cocoon? I have been to many events inside the elite bubble, vetted, accepted, and allowed within two meters in a palace of opulence, and always been relieved to get out of there.
After the movie, Clare and I skipped down the road, hopped on the bus and mingled. I'm sure that Elton would give anything to get out and skip with us, but the virus of humanity would devour him, he is in a permanent cocoon – ironic, ha?
Terrible something, is coming……
Hello you pretty things, thought I'd give you a little word on what's going on at this end and what I am feeling about my forthcoming album - a good bit ‘forth'. It is my first real electric guitar album, with Gerry Leonard on that instrument. The album is kind of Alt Irish Guitar Band I suppose. It's time to try - at least - and pigeonhole one's music, having purposely avoided it all one's life, but the pigeonhole was created by the music - not vice versa - and now I will be able to fill out my Spotify form.
While I was recording, this is the stuff that went through my little head. Firstly, I'm not interested in retro, I like to learn from the past, but not imitate it, take it somewhere else while using every lesson learned. Yes we referred to The Rolling Stones on occasion and thought of Pet Sounds (but didn't say). I also listened to BBC6 and WFUV from New York, and we also referred to The National, Fontaines DC, rap music, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, The Small Faces and Bowie, of course, we referred to him quite a lot. I couldn't believe my fortune to be working with Bowie's guitarist Gerry Leonard and being recorded by Hector Castillo, who also worked with Bowie. Bowie's old upright sat by the wall in the second room where the keyboards lived, including the beautiful vibraphone (featured on Tommy and Timmy and others) and a full size grand Steinway. I swear that Bowie's piano spoke in some way, it was not just a piano, I was almost afraid to play it. One day I just sat down and hammered out ‘let's spend the night together' it was perfectly suitable to its personality to play that.
We are toying with the album title, the main contender is "Terrible Good", we also thought of "Where it Should Be", the first track on the album, featuring David Mansfield's beautiful strings - he who did Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue when he was 17. Dick from StorySound Records (my new label) favours ‘Terrible Good', he loves the twist in its meaning, which is why I liked it first too, it is a very Irish thing, and other cultures do it too, to use a negative out of context with the positive. People use the word ‘Wicked' to describe something great for instance, or ‘Deadly'. In the rap world, ‘Bad' means ‘Good'.
We are at a peculiar crossroads with music listening devices, nowadays. The record shops are filled with records! Of course, I mean vinyl. Yet, only a handful of friends have high quality turntable stereos. I read that some of the sales are not even bought to be played, just college kids collecting these big square things with beautiful artwork.
How will you listen to this album? That is the question that arises. We mixed these tracks on very high end speakers, not huge ones, medium size with full range, state of the art. But you might hear it in all kinds of ways, it doesn't bother me that much, I love listening to tracks on my Mac, with its built in little speakers, it sounds like a small transistor! Clare thinks they sound terrible, but I love them. So how you listen, is not my concern, but how you will receive it? Will it be a download, a CD, vinyl, a dongle? Or will you stream it? It's all fine by me. But will I be able to get it to people? it could get lost in all these options. When sound was only produced by a physical object, turntable, cassette player, CD player, there was really only one road to take. The downside was, that very advantage, there was only one way to do it.
We are at present planning the first single and the lead contender is Tommy and Timmy. Here's what it's about, we have a video made by Declan St Onge:
Tommy and Timmy
(a hurling song)
"They used to come to my gigs in The Village. I played with a string quartet at the time. These two hairy guys, smiling and laughing, getting every little nuance of my Irish sarcasm, self-pity and humour – sat beaming before me like two Muppets.
Then one summer I was fortunate to be home from New York, where I emigrated to donkeys ago, and got to see Wexford playing hurling in Dublin's massive Croke Park. My sister Bernie had secured the tickets through a network of GAA (the Gaelic sport bosses) outlets, bars and supermarkets, or someone that knew someone.
After the match, we were flowing along with the sea of people, walking through working class Dublin, when we came to a low, stone bridge. There, leaning with their back to the river, leaned Tommy and Timmy, upon their elbows, upon the wall, beaming in the sun. I was astounded, and astonished, "What?? Tommy and Timmy! What are you doing here?" "Howzitgoin Pierce" yawned the two lads, smiling as always. I left them there and never got over how blasé they were, considering I only ever saw them in New York, although they were from Ireland. (Timmy's from New Ross, in Co Wexford).
Tommy was a musician and met his lovely wife in the Czech Republic, they raised a beautiful family. Sadly from out of the blue, Tommy died. I was asked to sing at his memorial, so I wrote this song, and sang it very poorly at Arlene's Grocery in New York that night. All I had to do was remember them. Favourite T and T memories included, that one night after my gig, when we were in a taxi heading west to MacManus's and I burst into song ‘Oh the cattle are standing like statues.' Tommy and Timmy howled with laughter. It was a line from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oh what a beautiful morning" I had learnt it for fun, and when I sang that line in the taxi, it was perfection, three Irish lads with agriculture and cow shit embedded in their roots, mixed with Broadway! It was our lives condensed in ten syllables.
I am proud to say Tommy and Timmy is a Gaelic hurling song, my favourite sport, dedicated to Tommy English, and Timmy from McSorleys.
Dearest things, I am attaching a story from my weekly Wexford People newspaper column. We are working like buggers on the new album - Dick from Storysound Records ain't cuttin corners on the packaging. The demand for vinyl is so huge in America right now, the pressing plants are overwhelmed, they tell us that we won't get the vinyl until next July or August!
But the CD will be on time and the official launch will be at Joe's Pub on March 17th in Manhattan with the original band from the recording.
I love you more than navy blue.
Pierce xxxxxxx
I got my guitar out yesterday and polished it, put on new strings and cleaned the fret board, put a new battery in the tuner, and checked to see if the arm was shooting straight. I am a retired gunslinger coming back out to hit the streets, get ready! Gigs will be rare at first, and the plan is to stream them as well.
The first gig will be my annual show in my home town - the Wexford Arts Centre on Dec 23rd at 8.30 p.m, book now!
The launch is set for March 17th at Joe's Pub in Manhattan, with the full original band from the recording, on sale soon.
I love you as much as peace and quiet.
Pierce xxxx
PS: In case you missed it, here's a recent feature from Hot Press magazine on the new album
A lot of things have come into question recently, things that we have assumed to be fact, or the rule of law. But there are some things that can't be disputed, the world is round, water is wet, and sugar is sweet. We can choose to disagree with the laws of the land, but if you are guilty of a crime, you have to pay the price, everyone! Otherwise we go back to the wild west, if so , we might as well assume that the world is flat. I was annoyed with myself recently, when it seemed like I was caught off-guard with the Irish gigs.
Everyone was booked up! I couldn't understand it, I had just heard that we could have an audience again, how did everyone get in before me? Finally I got Dave Allen from Whelans on the phone, and he explained that they had to honour all the gigs booked before the pandemic first, and that's why December is completely booked, except for Monday December 6th, "ye can stick that date up yer bum" sez I to Dave. Then he suggested Friday January 7th ……. I had to think, January?? I have had to cancel my wild New Years Eve party for two years running, I was planning on going ape shit this time, and that would definitely not be good before a gig, even with six days to recover. So I thought about it and decided that it was more important to see my Dublin gang, so….Friday January 7th it is. I will be joined by the great guitarist Sam Killeen on electric guitar, he has worked with James Vincent McMorrow, Villagers, Lisa Hannigan and Divine Comedy. And we'll have Siobhan Lynch on cello, who plays with the Irish Symphony Orchestra, that's good enough for me. Sam was suggested by Gerry Leonard, Sam is a fan of Gerry's and delighted to replicate Gerry's parts from the new album. We have our first rehearsal tomorrow, for God's sake, spread the word about this gig, or I'll have to pawn my wedding ring! The Irish Times said this about my gigs at Whelan's:
"Clambering across the tables to screams of adoration, Turner breaks down the barrier between audience and performer, and really renders himself naked. Pierce's gigs at Whelan's are legendary, expect to hear some of these great new songs, plus the Turner classics."
After Whelans, I'll be heading to New York to prepare for the album launch at the great Joe's Pub on March 17th. All my New York sausages, get ready.
I love you more than mushy peas (and chips) Pierce xxxx
PS: Here's a recent newspaper column:
I was walking along the Main Street in Wexford, a misty Saturday, not so much rain as wet air. Huddled in my coat and scarf I spotted an acquaintance passing, I wasn't sure that she noticed me, or was she carrying on with the presumption that I didn't want to take part in small niceties. I reached for her. "How are you?" She seemed pleased, slightly reticent I suppose, but happy to engage. "I really love that new song of yours" said she with a shy smile. "Oh that's great" said I, delighted to get a reaction to ‘Tommy and Timmy' from a live human. "It's totally refreshing". I am not comfortable with compliments in the flesh, but more comfortable than I am with insults. "Do ye think so? It's odd because it was such a quirky story and idea, such a personal viewpoint, with no certain foundation in pop pedigree, I wasn't sure if anyone would get it". "That's what I liked about it, the world needs more music like this, music that is free of contrivances, I found it inspiring".
I was greatly relieved by this encounter, and thanked her for the compliment. It was a short encounter, and you might think that it was a small thing. It wasn't a review in the New York Times, or Rolling Stone Magazine, but it actually made my day, because I respect the woman in question and know that she is no pushover. This may be my downfall, deriving such pleasure and encouragement from someone on the Wexford Main Street.
I had a big time manager once who poo-pooed the value of a full page rave in the Tel Aviv Times for my debut album, the population was too small he declared, ye know this kind of stuff doesn't lead to world domination, he flippantly declared. And I knew there and then that he wasn't for me. I believe that If someone appreciates what you do, it doesn't matter who, or where they are. And if there are enough of them to keep you afloat, then you are solvent. Who needs to rule the world? It's impossible to keep your balance when you rule the world, inevitably it will kill you, when you fall off.
I should explain that the album is not out yet, that happens mid-February, Tommy and Timmy is an advance video-single, as soon as we have the finished album we will send it out.
In the meantime, I have two gigs coming up in Ireland, with Sam Killeen on guitar and Delia Lynch on cello. The tickets are on sale now, I really look forward to seeing you there. The new songs are great to perform live - some not so new also. Spread the word, we are about to be reborn again. I love you as much as Tommy and Timmy.
Pierce xxxx
PS - Please share the video, we need hits!
"I'm fairly sure I've listened to "Where It Should Be" ten or more times tonight - probably more" Sid Dansby (Facebook)
With comments like this from my Facebook, it seems like "Where It Should Be" is striking a chord. I hope you like the song as much as Sid.
It's a song that I can get my teeth into, like Orange Coloured Sun or Yogi With a Broken Heart. We can try as much as we like to write these kind of songs, but they don't grow on trees, they grow from time though, just like an apple or a pear. But unlike fruit, there is only one at the most on each tree. It's a rare tree, as rare as a person, each one has its own story, and each one is complicated. All kinds of wounds will lay bare, and all kinds of truth will be told. And if there is one iota of superfluous distraction, the fruit is hard and inedible. I am using my father's memory as the climax, and as an analogy for the promise of life, a promise that is driven by the sun, and the blue sky up above. Tragedy is often lurking, and we always have to deal with it, but then a new day dawns, and off we go again. "I assume the world will do a normal turn, and everything will be where it should be" And it is!
By the way, the booklet with the Terrible Good CD, is a beauty, 24 pages with words, photos, and yarns. I could not have afforded this without StorySound Records, they were absolute perfectionists, won't be long now.
The gig at great Whelans in Dubin, will be fully seated, except for those who can't sit still. With the new restrictions, we are allowed 90 people, seems enough to me. I've been singing to my iPhone for the last 2 years, and the biggest audience I've been allowed in front of me was 30. So 90 should be massive. The tickets are on sale now. The Wexford Arts Centre is sold out however, but put your name down, a few tickets are usually returned. It will be streamed live on Facebook on the night by the great documentary maker Colin Murnane. The Joe's Pub tickets for the March 17th launch in Manhattan are on sale now at the link above. This will be with the full NY Band of superstars - Gerry Leonard on guitar, Tony Shanahan on bass and Yuval Lyon on drums.
I'm sure you're aware how hard it is to get attention these days in the world of music. Ed Sheeran achieved in four years what took Bruce Springsteen thirty. How? Well, the powers that be - like YouTube and Spotify, they are so powerful on a global level, all they have to do is decide. And I'm guessing they are handsomely enticed by some kind of cut, or promise.
Needless to say, they won't be getting such promise from me. But I want to use these tools the fullest. So it's really important to share these videos with others, this is a major card, and I would really appreciate you sharing them around. You're my secret weapon, sweet, smart people that you are, as the cockle said to the mussel "Don't be shellfish!" share em around.
I love you more than my mother's Christmas Pudding!
Pierce
xx
The gig in Wexford is now on with doors open at 4.30 p.m. on Thursday 23rd - there are a few tickets still available HERE if you are available to attend in person.
If you'd like to catch the gig on Facebook Live, you can do that HERE from 4.45 p.m. local time (or 11.45 a.m. New York time).
I love you more than my mother's spiced beef!
Pierce
xx
As you might have heard, my gig in Wexford before Christmas had a few challenges!
This is the gig that was handicapped at every turn. Colin Murnane has edited it and turned it into something kind of special. Set yourselves up, arrange a party, it's my first live show in a long time. He had to edit out the tech problems, and it's only about 50 minutes or an hour. We had a sold out show of 120 that was halved by the government restriction of 50% and then it was lowered from 60 people to about 43 when they changed the finishing time to 8 p.m. So this show was at 5 p.m. Meant to be the great Sam Killeen on guitar and Delia Lynch on cello. Sam caught Covid, and then there were two! But it's an interesting line-up and sound. Have fun. Thanks so much to Colin Murnane above all of us.
You can watch it on my Facebook page HERE at 9.30 p.m. (Ireland/ UK time, 4.30 p.m. New York time) today, Friday 7th. It's free if you want or you can go to the one of the links above to preorder the new album or donate to support live shows.
Pierce
xx
I miss you.
Here I am sat upon my bum in the kitchen, thinking: what can I do to rebuild the bridge that has been knocked down between you and me, we and they, way and no- way, every which way!
It seems to me that one war is definitely coming to an end, the Covid war (I know that we still have other wars brewing, but they have always brewed) and now we have to engage in the post-war rebuild. If that is not done properly we will not recover in a therapeutic way.
The glue that holds us together has been severed by Covid, the tiny nerve ends that connects our hearts and minds. The amount of time we spend together has been almost abolished, so therefore we know each other less, and when we know each other less, we care less. As I have often said, what you give attention to expands. And we have given our entire attention to avoiding each other, for a very long time. So now we have to counteract that by doing the opposite, and it will require an effort, as much effort as it took to avoid each other for the sake of Covid. But the reward will be great, the reward for avoiding each other was loneliness, and staying alive of course, if we reconnect, we will find great pleasure, and stay alive too, more alive!
I genuinely miss you, I am sick of myself, and bloody Netflix, sick of that television news, and most of the irresponsibles who control it, power is a beast of low intellect. In a recent interview I went so far as to say ‘without music and art, the world would be eternally at war'. it was a reaction to talk radio, which now dominates in Ireland. Wars are started with words, not music. Studies show that listening to music can benefit overall well-being, help regulate emotions, and create happiness and relaxation in everyday life. You know that feeling you get when music takes you to an indefinable place? And when we are in that place with other people, it is pure felicity.
In spite of Covid, this has been an amazing year for me. At this point in my life, I could easily pronounce that the jury is in, I have not made it, and I'm not ever going to, so chuck it in for Christ sakes! To which I would probably I reply to myself, ‘made what?' Or something smart like that. But when Dick Connette from StorySound, a classy Manhattan label, offered me a record deal at the beginning of 2021, I readdressed that question, and answered differently. "Wait a second, I still have all these lovely people who support me through thick and thin, and now this man has offered to invest tens of thousands of dollars in my next album, surely this is ‘making it' in some way? That after all these years, I am still encouraged to do it.
As you know the album is done now - ‘Terrible Good' - and there are three great videos out there, the album will be released on February 25th, and headed your way. The advance tracks are available on all the streamers, like Spotify etc - you can get the links here. It's being playisted by Apple and we are getting great reviews. In Ireland, the Sunday Times has done a feature and we are launching it officially on March 17th at Joe's Pub in Manhattan with the original line-up from the album Gerry Leonard, guitar (Bowie, Rufus Wainwright) Tony Shanahan, bass (Patti Smith, Beck) Yuval Lion, drums (David Byrne) and my brother Fred Parcells on bone and vocals.
I am a little scared that we have been separated for so long, that you won't come to the gig, or that you are still nervous about Covid. I promise you that Joe's Pub is run like a well-oiled machine, you will be safe, and at the rate that we are going, the infection rate will be way down by March 17th, that's what my doctor says too. My sister is coming from Ireland for Christ's sake, and my nephews and all kinds of other people who feel deprived from the Christmas clampdown.
Pierce Turner performances with this line-up of superstars will be as rare as hen's teeth, book now, is it time for us to enjoy ourselves again?
I love you more than Saturday.
Pierce xxxx
Hi there
Delighted to announce that Terrible Good is released today on StorySound Records! Thanks to everyone who made it happen, I hope you enjoy it.
I love you more than the album of the week
Pierce xxxx
Well it's March and a stiff Nor- East'r is cutting through New York City, but the sun is shining with a promise of spring. Terrible Good is off to a great start: Two page spread in The Sunday Times, four star review in The Irish Times, and album of the week on RTE (Ireland's BBC). In the U.S I am doing a pile of podcasts, and the album has had raves in the cyber media "a cross between The Cure and Johnny Cash" The Aquarian. N.J. That's one of my faves.
The CDs are here and ready to go, you will have them soon, with that great 24 page booklet that wouldn't be possible without the wonderful StorySound Records. This is such a cyber world that we live in, we are sometimes overwhelmed with physical reality, the boxes of CDs are not living in the clouds. We are presently having them shipped to Ireland from the UK where the European distributer is situated, and mailed out from Kildare where my friend Paul Darby sits with pen and envelopes, ready to pounce. I am sending downloads to those of you who are too far away, just to hold you over. But we do have them, and the package is beautiful, with a 24 page booklet, including the lyrics and little anecdotes, mailing them from NY would cost $14 each, unreal, so we have to do it this way. Won't be long now, I am sorry for the delay, and very grateful for your support, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Now, we ordered the vinyl the same time as the CDs , yet they are not here! Why? You might ask, and bejasus, you'd have every right to ask too. Well what happened, happened a long time ago, in the early 80s or so. Around that time a digital disc called a CD came on the market, and within very little time at all, took over that same market. This caused all the vinyl plants to go out of business, because millions of silly buggers threw out their record players, and dumped their vinyl, or at least abandoned it. Well guess what, we now we have this new craze called VINYL! that has come upon us, and the plants for making it, have nearly all disappeared because people threw out their record players. So, when we went to order vinyl they informed us that we would be having to wait! If you know what I mean. At first I was told May, and then they said, May, if I was lucky! then they took a huge leap (or the piss) towards the other end of the summer and proffered August! I am sincerely hoping that they are being pessimistic, but I honestly don't know. So if you have ordered vinyl, it will be a while, I'm really sorry. As a consolation we will send you a download code.
A gang of people are coming to New York from Ireland for the launch gig on March 17th. I am so looking forward to playing with this crack band who played on the album, I need not worry about reproducing the sound, this IS the sound. And even Timmy from "Tommy and Timmy" will be there. Martin Mills the boss of Beggars Banquet is flying in from London for it (now perhaps the biggest Indie record group on the planet) I hope it's going to be jammed, we will fly away together.
If you want to come tickets are still available HERE, and you can pick your own seats in this wonderful intimate venue, rated one of the top five in America by Rolling Stone Magazine. If you can't get there book your own party at home, we are going to do a three camera professional stream with hi-fi sound on YouTube – more details next week.
My love for you is not cyber though, it comes from passion, blood and eternal gratitude.
Pierce xxxx
I'm writing from Wexford, and I'm absolutely knackered from trying to adjust. I swear the bloody pandemic still has us all confused in some way, it's like we've had a big storm and the trees are all down, and blocking the road - the wind has died down, and the rain has stopped, but we can't get around properly. Of course it's not as obvious as that, but there is a subtle shift in our priorities or something, and we have designed a new way to live. So I have decided to ignore it all, and just drive around the hurdle that's in front of me, because up ahead I've got my first proper Irish gig since Covid began.
When you think of what we've been through, it's a huge deal, that the very fine Sugar Club on Leeson Street is ours to enjoy. Imagine if two years ago when I was performing to you from my sitting room with the cat trying to knock over the tripod, I was able to say that in three weeks time ,I will be performing with a full band on July 7th in Dublin. Cillian Byrne and his brother Lorcan will back me up (guitar and drums), with Mary Barnecutt on cello and Bill Bergen on bass, the Byrne Brothers also sing like birds, we'll be doing the new album ‘Terrible Good" and a bunch of ones from before, not telling ye which ones.
At this point in my life, it's more than a gig, I miss you guys, and want to see you, let's have a pint after the show, we do have a bar at our disposal. Please make an effort to break the hold that Covid has on you, shake yourself and come out, bring your voice and lets sing, walk around the blockage, for now is heaven.
I love you more than the last time.
Hello, it's me, how are you? We now have these pretty, bloody good videos from the launch of Terrible Good at Joe's Pub in New York. We have edited them down to single songs so as not to wear you out. This one is of the song "Rocket Man" with my NYC intro - I am backed by the original band from the recording. Give it a gawk,I think you'll like it, would love to hear your reaction. By the way, I read them all and I answer them all, ask anyone who wrote.
I had my first rehearsal with the Irish line-up for The Sugar Club yesterday, and ‘Terrible Good" is gonna be mightily good. Next week we'll have another video.
And here's a little story for you. Spread the word, will ye, I need more of you, and love you more and more each day.
Pierce xx.
It was the first time I invited someone to a Zoom call, usually someone else invites me, and it's easier that way I can assure you. I wanted to run through the arrangements with Mary Barnecutt by Zoom before the band rehearsal, so that she wouldn't be coming in cold. After fecking around with Zoom for a couple of hours, computers eat hours like my cat eats chicken, I finally succeeded in sending Mary an invite.
Everywhere I looked they told me that a Zoom call was infinite so long as no more than two people participated, Mary and I were cut off after twenty. Unfortunately we were out of sync when played together, so I turned Mary off on my end and she played away while I listened to myself. It was disconcerting to watch her obviously playing out of sync, but it worked. Sometimes we would discuss tricky bits, and Mary would play them on her own, I could see she was bloody good, that was a relief, as I had never even met her, she did come recommended by a reliable friend though. Mary is a character, I casually asked did she have any effect pedals, and she pulled out a rake of them, this is not normal for classical musicians, she's a woman after my own heart.
On Wednesday Mary joined us with Cillian on guitar, Lorcan on drums and Bill on bass for a rehearsal in Harolds Cross, it was a new studio own by a couple of brothers with Australian accents. Mary fit in like a hand to glove, I was glad that we had gone through the parts though, these bloody songs are deceptively complicated, and we are having to add another rehearsal next Tuesday, so that we are completely tight for the Sugar Club. Colin Murnane is coming with video expertise, we are bending over backward to make this a great gig, and we ain't kissing no Blarney stone.
I love you because you're mine, come to Leeson Street next Thursday.
Pierce xxxx
The story behind the cover of Terrible Good
Michael Quilligan had asked me to take three different photos in Manhattan as part of my fund raiser for an up and coming album. I had been offering photos that I had taken of Manhattan and that's where he got the idea. He wanted one taken on Ninth Street and Avenue C – a lyric from one of my songs, one taken up town at a spot where one of his favourite bands Blue Oyster Cult had their photo taken and one taken at a spot where Bob Dylan had performed or been to.
Not so long after Michael (who is also responsible for holding my IT world together) asked for these photos, a photographer friend offered to help by taking some photos for me, as a contribution. I told him about Michael's request, and Frank, being a gung-ho character, said ‘yeah, let's do it, I know the perfect place for the Dylan shot, Great Jones Street where he shot the cover of ‘Freewheelin Bob Dylan'. So off we went to the West Village to begin the beguine.
Unfortunately it was Spring when we shot the photo, as opposed to a snowy winter's day, but Michael just wanted a Dylan spot, he didn't mention the weather. Frank and I strolled slowly down the quiet West Village street looking in our minds eye for which angle the Dylan photo had been taken from. When we got to the bottom of the street, an elderly woman in a raincoat, approached us with the certainty of experience "It was there!, the photographer stood here, and they stood there" said she. We were genuinely surprised that she knew what we were looking for, and then realised how stupid that was, after all Frank had a professional camera in his hand, and of course it was a legendary spot. "And over there, down below, there is a basement record shop with the album in the window" Jesus Christ, talk about service.
Over we went and studied the cover. I noticed that Dylan hunched his shoulders, so I did the same, not a normal stance for me, and Frank took several shots of me there, in the end we took one of me kicking my shoe up in the air, a favourite stage antic.
After that we took the other photos and I sent them to Michael. He said they were ‘grand' and then went silent, I asked was there something wrong with them, and he slyly giggled, "well I didn't ask for you to be in them" This sent me into a fit of convulsive laughter, needless to say. I actually thought he was kidding, he has a warped Limerick sense of humour, but then realised that he wasn't, and that was even funnier. Of course, I had been taking street photos of Manhattan and selling them, and that's what Michael had thought I would do. But Frank came on the scene offering to take photos of me, and I joined the two ideas together.
So hey, accidents can create opportunity. Three years later when we were looking for the cover for my new album ‘Terrible Good' I suggested that shot, and everyone loved it. Thanks Michael, and thanks Frank, and thank you, lady in the raincoat.
"We are playing at the London Palladium tonight, and next week at the outdoor arena in Pompeii where Pink Floyd performed". The bass player, Tony Shanahan is calling me from London.
"That's amazing, how are the tickets going?" "Sold out, all the shows are sold out" Tony is talking about Patti Smith gigs, he is her bassist and musical director, I can't imagine more disparity between two artists as people, than Patti and myself. Yet Tony finds himself comfortable with both of us, and us with him.
Tony has a hundred cousins in Cork - where his parents emigrated from - and a good few of them made their way south to see their American cousin performing with me in Levis of Ballydehob. Levis used to be one of those Grocer/Bar establishments that were common in Ireland. Now it has been taken over by Joe the nephew, and because he was the singer in a band called ‘Fred' he chose music as a way to draw audiences to the business left behind by two grand aunts.
Joe pestered me for years to play there, and I kept saying ‘Where?' And Joe being the great character that he is, convinced me that Levis was essential, he didn't mention that it could take me six hours to get there from Wexford. He also neglected to mention that the capacity of Levis is about forty, or forty-five at a push.
The first time I played there was a bit confusing. "Where do I play Joe" "Well most of the bands play behind the grocery counter" I looked at it, the shelves were filled with oddities, Bisto tins, tinted bottles, and Irel coffee posters colourfully etched into tin, rusty tools and bad paintings hanging off kilter. The counter on the opposite side was the bar, and in between stood an old upright piano, out of tune but playable. Joe had thought twice of taking it for nothing off someone, because it took up precious space. I didn't have a band, so I chose to perform outside the counter, the audience could go behind if they wanted.
It's at the foot of a three-storey house that is filled to the brim with furniture, holy pictures and lots of beds. Joe invites the musicians to sleep upstairs. I chose the attic, and got myself ready for the gig. Clipping the little window open, I looked down at the colourful Main Street as it curved up the hill, and wondered who the people out there were? Would they care about me performing downstairs? Two attractive young women stopped to look in the window of a small art gallery across the street, I wondered where they were walking to, and they seemed dressed for something.
Joe said to come down around 8.30, I waited in the kitchen as he introduced me, then I walked through the frosted glass door to the roar of a crowded bar, I panned the room of heart warming smiles, and amongst them spotted the two women who had been across the street, this was where they were going. Later I was to find out that people had come from as far away as Belfast.
Last Saturday night we sold so many tickets, Joe had to put Tony and I out in the back, where he has created a tiny amphitheatre. Tony Shanahan was beaming from ear to ear, and his cousins were everywhere. Tony, who played on my new album, journeyed from New Jersey to Pompeii, and from that hallowed venue to the back of Levis with me, he is a true soul brother. And Ballydehobinners do make one feel loved.
Turner and Kirwan of Wexford
Hello one and all, it's been a while. I was in Greece for a couple of weeks, went there after the Wexford gig - a great gig. I am now browned like a turkey.
More gigs coming soon - looking at Whelans but not set yet. But Dec 22 at the Wexford Arts Centre is set in stone-our annual Christmas gig at home, with the full band. book it now.
People are truly loving this band, you can feel it in the air, no hardship, just sing the songs, and it rolls like a Riverboat Queen.
It was also wonderful to be a guest on Newstalk's Moncrieff show the other day, the day after I arrived back from Greece. It went well, they have been promoting it on air very regularly, with a clip of me going on about how odd Wexford is, and how we are part Norman, and part Dane, also anglophile, as well as anti Anglo, meaning contrary I suppose? Obviously Newstalk found it all greatly amusing. Of course I love Wexford. Here is the link.
But back to Wexford, this is why I write. Many of you will know that I first went to America with another Wexford fella called Larry Kirwan, of Black 47 fame, and recently the composer of a Broadway musical. Together as Turner and Kirwan of Wexford, we made one official album, and one bootleg of ourselves. The offical record company album "Absolutely and Compeletly" caused a bit of a stir.
We have decided to put an 80 minute CD together, including as many early tracks as possible within the space limitation of a CD. It has the complete unabridged "Absolutely and Completely" Also included are the bootleg tracks, and a never before heard track called Adoremus. (I found it on a shelf in Neil Stocker's house on a cassette)
You can order a copy of the CD in advance here. It will make a great prezzy for all kinds of souls that are in need of replenishment. I hope you find it as interesting to hear these songs again, as Larry and I did. This is a huge sounding album.
I love you more than De Purple and Gold.
Pxxxx
The Wexford Opera Festival is on as I write this. Fireworks flew above the harbour last night and even the main Wexford Bridge was pedestrianized. Thousands of people coming from all over the county to see the spectacle, cars are parked everywhere in higgledy- piggledy fashion.The Spiegeltent is erected for live music, and carnival rides glow like something from an American movie. It's so weird for me because all of this happens on the Quay, right in front of the house where I grew up, which stands there now filled with offices.
I just got off the phone with Tony Shanahan the bass player on my new album, he has just come back from Paris where he performed with Patti Smith. We laughed about our gig in Ballydehob last summer, and began planning the band for my annual gig at Joe's Pub in Manhattan next March 17th. But first we have a couple of very important Irish gigs. It is literally years since I played in Whelans. Before the pandemic it was my yearly Mecca, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to perform there on Nov 20th with the full Terrible Good Band through that great sound system. Those of you who were at The Sugar Club, will remember the great video back drop by Colin Murnane, we are lucky enough to have Colin again on Nov 20th at Whelans, with plenty of room to move for the movers.
So don't deprive yourself, get yourself over to us, we will have the new album in vinyl form and CD, so bring a few bob in cash, we won't have a card machine, not that industrialised yet. Really looking forward to playing with this band again. And don't forget my Wexford gig on Dec 22nd! By the way, I saw a clip of half of this band with Susan O'Neill on the Late Late Show last week - so I'm on the pulse! Here's a little story for you from my boy soprano days.
I love you more than the Bread of Angels.
Pierce xx
Turner and Kirwan of Wexford
Many of you will know that I first went to America with another Wexford fella called Larry Kirwan, of Black 47 fame, and recently the composer of a Broadway musical. Together as Turner and Kirwan of Wexford, we made one official album, and one bootleg of ourselves. The official record company album "Absolutely and Completely" caused a bit of a stir.
We have decided to put an 80 minute CD together, including as many early tracks as possible within the space limitation of a CD. It has the complete unabridged "Absolutely and Completely" Also included are the bootleg tracks, and a never before heard track called Adoremus. (I found it on a shelf in Neil Stocker's house on a cassette)
You can order a copy of the CD here. It will make a great prezzy for all kinds of souls that are in need of replenishment. I hope you find it as interesting to hear these songs again, as Larry and I did. This is a huge sounding album.
A full Moon stood motionless over Wexford Harbour, a thin veneer of mist blurred its definition, I stared at it and wondered will my friends come out on Sunday night. In the back kitchen I can hear our Stiff clock, it sounds like it's in a fog too. It reads, "when you kill time, you murder success". Clare got it when she was in the music business in London, you name it she got it, if you work in the music business, you don't have to pay for anything. Free concerts, free T shirts, free albums, and free clocks! Record companies are very generous to their employees, but they will fight tooth and nail to stiff musicians, no pun intended.
Night-time entertainment must be suffering very badly in Ireland, the government just handed out hundreds of thousands to night clubs, including Whelans! Does that mean you're not coming on November 20th ? I hope not.
I'm all revved up here. Got me cello, guitar, bass and drums, and if you were at the Sugar Club, you know how good they are, the tables and chairs will be pulled out from behind the curtain, and I have lost a stone so that I can mount them.
Tell everyone for God's sake, there may not be too many more gigs with this band, Take advantage of it, you will leave with a smile on your face. How can you put a price on that? It will save you a fortune in doctor's bills.
I love you more than Moonbeam Josephine.
Pierce xxxx
Also - Wexford's annual Christmas gig on Dec 22. And if you're in Wexford on New Year's Eve, come to my house for the party of your life.
I've got me hands full here, I went to the shop and got my breakfast, made a flat white coffee on the machine (for those of you living in other lands, a flat white is a strong short coffee with hot milk, you might like it, like a small strong latte) picked up the Sunday Times, a couple of fire logs and stood behind a man buying lottery tickets, and enquiring after yesterday's winners, and buying a separate lot of tickets for his mother, and….make a long story short, I had to rest the hot coffee on a nearby stand while waiting impatiently. It was freezing outside and I had my New York coat on, it is so big it has a mind of its own, it really should have its own car, there is barely room for the two of us in the front seat.
Finally after standing there all hot and bothered while the woman behind the ‘fast check out' was labouring over a thousand small questions, the man picked up his shopping bag and moved on. I knew the woman behind the counter, we had been through this before. We went over the lunacy of it all once again, turning our eyes towards the sky in sequence. I finally got out of there, put my bag on the roof of the car and opened the door.
After throwing my coat off in the house, it was like wrestling a person off my back, I stuck some bread in the toaster, emptied my pre-cooked sausages on to a plate, sliced a tomato to go with it, laid the paper out on the table before my eyes and reached for a sip of coffee while awaiting the toast. But it wasn't there, was it? No!! it was still back on that shelf in the shop.
So Christmas is coming, and I wish I could play everywhere at once, because it's the first open Christmas since the pandemic, I want to be in the same theatre with all of you, but unfortunately I can only be in Wexford. So if you are around here, grab your tickets fast, as it's almost sold out. And if you are in NY you should grab your tickets now for Joe's Pub on March 17th at the link above.
We'll have a get together after both gigs - for Wexford, just pop around the corner to Mary's on Johns Gate Street. I'll tell you later where the NY one will be, but be, it will. Both gigs will have the full band, so get it while you can. I'm a busy man, and I love you more than my breakfast.
Pierce xxxx
PS - here's a recent newspaper column:
Hi folks
I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at my first New York gig of the year - on St Patrick's Day, March 17th at Joe's Pub. You can book your tickets HERE
I'll have the Terrible Good band with me, with Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith, Beck) on bass, James Mastro on guitar (The Bongos, Ian Hunter), Fred Parcells (Black 47) on vocals and trombone, and Jay Dea Daugherty (Patti Smith) on drums
Pierce xxxx
PS - here's a story of when I was a punk:
Moe's ancestors are from Newfoundland. They are a different breed those Newfies. They will bend over backwards so far for a friend that they will kiss the ground, and laugh at the taste. Nothing keeps Moe Maloney down, he is eternally positive. I have known him for so many decades it's not worth saying, cos we are timeless. He also knows everyone, if he doesn't know them, he will in the next five minutes. When I need help in NYC, Moe is the first person I call. He has brought so many beautiful people into my life, and they all come with a smile. Richi and Genie for instance, Richi has driven me all over the place, he is as smart and talented as a whip, Genie has sold CD's and helped organise in any way that she can, and is a great performer. And then they carry my feckin gear without an ounce of ego. Of all the crews in the world they have the highest IQ, and of course they are not really my crew, they are friends.
So when I passed this space every day on First Avenue and wondered if we should use it, I immediately thought of Moe. The next day he was there, and well the rest is in the photo with Moe and the poster. Right in the middle of First Avenue between 17th and 18th street, across the road from Stuyvesant Town, where half my fans live, just down the road from the United Nations Headquarters. And ten minutes from Joe's Pub.
C'mon friends. Let's sell it out on Friday March 17th at 7 p.m.
I love you more than Moe. Pierce xxx
It's exactly one year since I played in New York City - ridiculous really, which is why it's essential that we have a killer gig this March 17th at Joe's Pub, we must not waste these opportunities - Joe's Pub was voted in the top five American venues by Rolling Stone Magazine.
If you are around here somewhere, you better get your arse over there. We can all meet up afterwards at the Pub in the legendary Theatre 80 on the corner of St Marks (8th Street) and First Avenue - the charismatic proprietor Lorcan Otway will greet us with open arms, this place is a NYC landmark, perfect for landmark people like us. The actor Matt Dillon will embed his hand print in the cement there, with the likes of Bette Davis at the end of this month. I will play a couple a toons on the piano that night, Matt has been a PT supporter for years.
I love you more than NYC.
Pierce xxxx
P.S.: This is my latest article from my weekly newspaper column HERE, it's causing a bit of a stir.
Hi there
Just a quick one to let you know that Joe's Pub will be showing the gig tonight in a livestream on their YouTube channel. You can watch it by clicking on the image of Moe above,or right HERE.
If you feel guilty and you want to pay for the privilege of watching the gig from the comfort of your own home, you can buy a virtual ticket HERE - standing room only, and you have to get your own drinks
I love you more than green beer
Pierce xxxx
March 17th was a great gig at Joe's Pub, and because so many of you couldn't be there, it's great that Joe's Pub has made it available on YouTube.
I don't where I will play in Ireland this summer. The city venues say that their summer gigs are down by 50% because of all the festivals. For those of you not living in Ireland, this may seem confusing, because Ireland isn't exactly known for its blistering heat. In some countries people have to vacate the cities as much as possible during the summer heat. But that wouldn't be so necessary in Ireland. There is another phenomenon that non-Irish residents may not be aware of; the copious amounts of Irish Festivals. Every little fecking village in Ireland has a festival now. There is even a jazz festival in Ballydehob, West Cork - not exactly a jazzy town like New Orleans. Then there are the big festivals, sometimes called arts festivals, because they have government backing. But the word ‘art' is only a word; the actual headliners will usually be a major contemporary rock band, the kind of band that could get a gig at the non-art festivals. The really big festivals like "The Electric Picnic" don't even have to say who will be on the bill when they put the tickets on sale, they will sell out handily without that information.
To make a long story succinct, suffice to say that it's almost pointless to chase these festivals down. Firstly you can't get through to anyone, and secondly should you be that lucky, you better be willing to play on a little back stage somewhere for very little money. So I don't know yet what my approach will be this summer, but I will invent something. But I have a couple more gigs around here. Saturday April 29th we'll be at Ulysses on Pearl Street, a five minute walk from the Wall Street subway stop. Some of you will remember the great Sunday afternoon gigs at Puck Fair. It doesn't seem so long ago that David Bowie was in the audience. I played there with a string quartet. We closed it not so long ago, because the lease was up. Frank Casano, an owner at Puck Fair, is now involved with Ulysses, and Frank, a massive music fan, has made a music room at Ulysses. To start the ball rolling he had his favourite band (and one of mine) the Beach Boys play there, it was a thousand dollars a head! Packed of course.
However we will only charge $25 you'll be glad to know. But I will have the same band I had at Joe's Pub, an amazing band; Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith and Beck) on bass and vocals, Fred Parcells (Black 47) on trombone and vocals, James Mastro (Mott the Hoople) on guitar, and Stephen Goulding (The Rumour, Elvis Costello) on drums. Tickets are on sale now at this link. If you live in New Jersey, we will be performing at the Transparent Clinch Photo Gallery in Asbury Park on May 7th at 7 p.m. - suggested donation of $20 for admission.
I love you more than the song with the funky break
Pierce xx
I still can't believe that Leonard Cohen went up there in the snowy mountains of California for five years, no wonder he could perform for three and a half hours when he was 76. I woke up this morning at 8 a.m. and lay there drinking tea for a half hour, when he crossed my mind. He would awaken at 3 a.m. and start meditating with some bloke watching over him with a stick to make sure he stayed awake. I imagined that happening, even at 8 a.m. and I couldn't find a reason to get out of bed. So I had to tease myself by promising me a cup of that great coffee in the Portugese place over on 7th. If I knew that I was heading for the meditation and the stick, I don't know how I would've gotten my arse out of the sack.
I have begun booking Ireland in the summer, the first gig is at the very top of the country, I mean the VERY top, a place on the Inishowen Peninsula called Culdaff. Larry Kirwan and I once wrote a song about the place "Or could it be he in Culdaff, who'll have the last laugh" We were living in a bedsitter in Rathmines at the time, culchie teenagers. So I'll be at McGrory's Hotel in Culdaff on August 5th.
But for now the final U.S gigs are around the corner Ulysses in Manhattan on April 29th and Transparent Clinch Gallery on the Jersey Shore May 7th - these are with the full band...man.
And this week we are recording a new single which will be out in the summer, it's going to surprise you. Here is the link to a recent column I wrote for the Wexford People newspaper about Leonard.
I love you more than you love yourself.
Pierce xxxx
Join me on my top to bottom Irish Summer Tour. McGrorys in Culdaff has had the cream of Irish talent, The venue is a custom-built music room which has housed a wide variety of gigs over many years: Damien Dempsey , Kila , Cassandra Wilson, Femi Kuti, John Martyn , Townes Van Zandt, Horslips. I'll be launching the new single, the gloriously rewritten "Hail Glorious St Patrick", recorded with the Terrible Good Band in New York.
People are even coming from Australia for this unusual location, that's a good bit further than Dublin, but I understand that the difference in distance isn't stopping Dubliners from coming anyhow, even if it is closer than Australia. Ye never know it could be a heat wave, and we'll all be swimming off the top of Ireland in the dark, on the Inishowen Peninsula. I'm staying over, and well up for the craic.
Then on August 19th- we will be in Co Wexford, near Blackwater, a seaside town with loads of accommodation. The venue is a little jewel owned by the DJ Nigel Quaid, a magical barn with full lights and sound. Nigel built it during the pandemic when he had nothing to do A festival venue fashioned along the lines of a festival, this is a glorious way to spend a summers evening in the South East. It has a cool bar which is decorated with farm machinery - the Quaids are lovely people who just love music, All they want is is to have good music, and to see you laugh and smile, and sing. Hopefully it will be a clear night and we'll have the stars overhead, and a roof just in case, and it's BYOB.
You will find it with Eircode Y21 Y8A0. It's in Garrylough Co Wexford. It's 17 minutes from Wexford Town, across the Bridge, past Castlebridge out the old Dublin Road.
See you down the road
Pierce
Thomas stands above me with tray in hand, beads of sweat glisten in the scorching sun. We are amidst the beachfront bustle at the foot of an ancient castle in Greece. Beautiful bodies are everywhere, some aware and some innocent, the new fashion is dangerously necessary, and some would do better to be unfashionable. My mother Molly used to run up her own swim suits on the Singer sewing machine - there is a miniature snap of her with two friends, three fat ladies laughing their hearts out on Curracloe beach. The swimsuit was large and covered a lot of skin, it got heavy when it was wet though, and she'd need to be met with an overcoat. It's hard to imagine her making one up for today, I can't see her in one of those cheek-baring thong-like things. Not much compunction for cheek-baring around here though.
I ask Thomas how much the deck chairs are. "Three", he said. "Three Euro?" "No, FREE!" he corrected. ‘You just have to buy something from the menu' "Won't be a problem. We'll start with one fredo espresso, no sugar, and a hot latte" "Do you work here all year?" "Only in the summer" he was smiling and grateful to communicate. "In the winter I work in a factory" "Which do you prefer?' "Ah it's good to have a break, but I would rather be on vacation" "This is a better job for meeting girls though?" He giggles and asks where I am from. I tell him. "Does the IRA still exist?" I can't give him the full answer, it's too complicated. So I try to talk about Sinn Fein by pointing him towards an analogy. "George Washington was once a terrorist ye know". He's surprised.
Joseph came from over the mountains in Albania, he was very proud of his uncle who had leased the naff end of the harbour front on the island of Paros.We liked Joseph and rented his beds.It was a good deal, twenty euro for the day, you just spent it on food and drink. When we went there first, at the beginning of September, most of the beds were taken, and Joseph ran back and forth with orders to the kitchen on the far side of lazy road behind us. Clare and I got all his info out of him, he would sit next to us when he had time. He planned to go to university, this was a chance to save up. Barely eighteen years old, mannerly and earnest, he took every single thing to heart. Ye had to be careful what you said, he was sensitive.
We began to feel pressured into going to Joseph's, even though we had found an oasis called Pisa Levardi on the other side of the mountains.If we missed him for a day, Joseph would want to know where we had gone. We told him of course, and he tried to appear magnanimous, not too disappointed. They seemed to be doing well, but he mentioned that it was difficult, he had some concern, the summer was almost over. On our eighth day in Paros the winds began to blow. Bad weather in Greece means wind. Joseph's beach was lashed with stinging sand.We took the bus across the mountains. The next time we saw him, he appeared jealous of where we had gone to avoid the wind. His young face carried the weight of the fading trade. He seemed to envy us and think we lived a life beyond his grasp. So many places of beauty, yet it's the people like young Joseph who take precedence in our memories.
When I first came back to Ireland from New York, my first gig was at An Beal Bocht in Dublin, a great little venue. There was about twelve people in attendance, and even though Christy Moore and his family were among them, and it turns out Liam Fay from Hot Press too, it was not a very encouraging beginning to an Irish Tour in support of my first solo album.
My second gig was a complete surprise to me. I hadn't been to Cork for ages, so I knew nothing about The Lobby, where my second gig was booked. I don't know how many copies my album had sold in Ireland at that time, but it seemed, that night, like everyone of them had been purchased in Cork.
The Lobby was a long narrow place owned by an absolutely passionate music lover called Pat Conway. Not sure what the capacity was , but we couldn't have fit any more in, that's for sure. That was the first surprise, but the greatest surprise was the audience's knowledge of the songs. Young ones and young fellas that knew every word! It frightened the shit out of me, I was afraid that I might forget some of the words myself. It was totally sublime, and it changed how I felt about the album. Maybe it was good I thought, and maybe not as obscure as I feared.
The album soon began to gain ground. On an independent label in England, Beggars Banquet, it was picked up by a major label, BMG, and began to receive serious radio play on the BBC and RTE. John Peel picked the single Wicklow Hills as one of his top ten singles of all time.
Now I am sorry to say that that The Lobby is gone. But there is a very near equivalent, and again, is only possible because of the Cork spirit. That is Coughlans of course, and it's where I will be after a long pandemic-enforced absence on Thursday Nov 9th with the great Aongus Mac Amhlaigh on cello and vocals. We plan to start with my forthcoming single, a total re-write of the hymn ‘Hail Glorious St Patrick' and along with the new songs from my latest album, Terrible Good, we will whip out a horde of songs that have risen to the surface through live performances.
Ye can't beat Cork, boy!
I love you more than Beans on Toast.
Pierce xxxx
Coming… The Wexford Arts Centre with full band on Dec 22nd.
New Yorkers, put this date in your diary, March 17th 2024 at Joe's Pub.
PS - here's a recent newspaper article of mine
I have to scribble this out really fast, I have a rehearsal with Aongus the cello player at 10.30 AM – need to get ready, it's half eight now. How are you?
This week I'm playing in Cork, and thanks be to Jasus, it's sold out. After that my annual Wexford Christmas gig in Wexford on Dec 22, and then my annual New Years Eve party, which you're always invited to, at my house. If I was Daniel O'Donnell you'd all be here drinking tea. But I'm not, and you're not inclined that way I know, so there's slim chance of that kind of carry on with you and me, dear sausages.
I've been playing the piano a lot lately – working on a new project: Baroque Manifesto is the working title, songs with a baroque pop lilt have always been my style, and when I play like this it's very easy to find songs that fit from my older albums. I plan to begin performing this stuff sometime next year.
But first. I think I've told you about recording the ancient hymn ‘Hail Glorious St Patrick' Well we're releasing it for next March, before my annual gig at Joe's Pub on March 17th with the band of superstars. The video for ‘Hail Glorious' is amazing, I'm including a clip from the last section of it that you can watch HERE. We are also planning a classy t-shirt for the occasion. It's hard to know how many shirts to order, so I'm asking for pre-orders now, would you be interested? Of course we will make them way ahead of March, and you will get it weeks before St Patrick's Day. I'm attaching a photo of the shirt.
We have secured a very powerful publicist for the single, she loves the track and the video, it will be streamed on every port, please help me to make a stink with this, it should be our anthem. I've written new lyrics, anti-shit-stirrer words. Right now the shit-stirrers are getting too much air time again, just like they did in 1938, and we know what happened then. Would you like one of these shirts?
I love you more than my piano
Pierce xxxx
Dear sausages,
Congratulations, you have made it to 2024. I have lost some of you for using the word sausage as a term of endearment. A very supportive couple from Kildare made sure to make it clear one evening after a gig, "Sausages" he quoted with clear disdain, I shrugged my shoulders and found myself dumbstruck. I have not seen them since, what a shame, but I am who I am, and ‘Sausage' is a term of endearment to me.
I still find that it's better than the more serious and mature terms that pop into my head, suppose I don't want you to take me or yourself too seriously. Apparently that's not the way to become a seriously taken singer-songwriter. But like who we are. And soon I will want you now I want to read my stories in a book! Holy Christ, I will surely not get away with the "Sausage" salute then.
I have a few yokes going on here. Firstly I'm back in NYC and my feet are wet from walking in this morning's slush, an aborted Snowstorm. The single of "Hail Glorious St Patrick" comes out very soon, and will be at full speed by the time we reach March 17th . The video is stupendous, thanks to StorySound Records once again for producing it. The t- shirt seemed essential for this song, as it goes along with the day that's in it. If you want to celebrate March 17th and look cool, this could be your gear for the day. With a colourful frame of St Patrick from the video, it's as rich as the Sistine Chapel, if you fancy having one and being totally unique, now is the time to order.
The sizes are Medium, large, XL and , XXL - they are $35 each plus postage, so let's say 5 dollars for postage. We will celebrating the new single with a live performance at Joe's Pub in Manhattan on Sunday
March 17th at 6 pm (warning-not at the usual 7 pm cos it's a Sunday). Ticket available here.
To order the t-shirt:
It's the 21st of February, and I wake up at 6,30 each morning The apartment building next door that was burned down about four years ago, is now being rebuilt and turned into a monstrous expensive apartment building. They have extended the back so that it blocks a quarter of the light coming through the back window. In Ireland you're not allowed to block the light at all, but in America, you're allowed to block 25%! That's the difference between the countries. It will cost a fortune for one of those flats, at least a million each, generally, if someone can afford that, they are a pain in the arse, there goes the neighbourhood.
I have booked the Nock - Pierce's Picnic - for July 27th this year - that's the great location that you can only find by postal code, it was sold out last year in a nanosecond - great night, I'll tell you more about it later.
But now it's all about the gig at Joe's Pub in New York, I have written a new song for the occasion, and we will debut the forthcoming single 'Hail Glorious St Patrick' and I'm excited about the way it all sounds. This is a killer band - Patti Smith's MD Tony Shanahan (bass and vocals), Fred Parcells (Black 47)-of course, James Mastro (guitar), Stephen Goulding (drums - he played on Watching the Detectives). Can't wait to hang out with my NY sausages. We'll go for a drink nearby after - I've found a place on the west side of First Avenue between 9th and 10th I'll get the number. Get one of these t-shirts, they are f*cking gorgeous, and look at the video for my new single. The release date for the single "Hail Glorious St. Patrick" on StorySound Records is March 5th and the track will be streamed on all formats. Here's the pre-save link https://ffm.to/hailgloriousstpat
I love you, you'll see on March 17th - the gig at Joe's Pub will be streamed for those of you who are so far away on their YouTube channel
XXXX Pierce.
Every gig is a major production nowadays, if we were to go on the road for a world tour, it wouldn't be a whole lot more work. Organising a rehearsal for five people, for one event isn't any easier than organising the rehearsal for several. We finally nailed down a date for March 14th from noon to 5 p.m. - I booked the studio - online of course with a credit card - no human contact. We all agreed on this arrangement, one more issue solved, back to other ones, dealing with the merch. Everyone says you've got to have merch man!; So now we have a t-shirt, and CDs, and vinyl, and where the hell will it all live? Not to mention the forthcoming book, and the writing of it FFS.
A website isn't a place ye know, it's just another occupant of cyberworld, and in reality, there is no such thing. Someone in Kuala Lumpur looks at the website and says, I think I'd like one of those Hail Glorious St Patrick t-shirts. But the shirts don't live on the website, or in the clouds, they are either in Ireland or New York, if any are left. But still bejasus, we are managing it! Just sent two to England from NYC, yeehaw, we're merching baby.
As soon as March 14th was set for rehearsal, James Mastro the guitarist in our band, was called up for jury duty on the 14th! So then we had to work out an alternative, after his jury duty, so on March 12th between 6 and midnight we will be slaving for you in a basement somewhere. That's if you live near New York, and not in cyberworld. A heap of you bought your tickets right away, and the rest of you got out of bed, stretched, yawned, and said "definitely, maybe, going to buy a ticket immediately, after I have breakfast" So now you're awake, get a ticket for Christ's sake. We have the full ensemble from Hail Glorious St Patrick: French horn, two trombones, and the band of superstars.
I love you more than you think. Pierce xxxx
P.S: There'll be an INTERVIEW with: Patrick Johnson, Host of The Irish Music Cafe, Detroit
When: Monday March 4th at 4:30pm ET
Where: https://irishmusiccafe.com/ It will also be up on the show's archives after the interview
French horn, two trombones, bass guitar, electric guitar, drums, keys and meself, that's the line-up that are playing on my new single, "Hail Glorious St Patrick" released this week, and streaming everywhere now, also the line-up for Joe's Pub on March 17th at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile I'm still being awakened every morning by a construction company called Shannon Builders who are next door turning that building into an apartment building for rich children from California. It sounded like they ran a wheelbarrow into my wall this morning at 7 a.m. and now they are drilling into my ear with a pneumatic.
If you are in the vicinity of New York next Sunday, March 17th, get yourself over to Joe's Pub at 6 p.m. to hear this beautiful line-up. Tickets are available here. Fortunately it's a Sunday - and the boys next door with the sledge hammers wont be working, so I'll get to sleep late!!
Afterwards we are going to The Holiday Cocktail Lounge, 75- St Marks Place (8th St) after the show, come join us, we are expected.
I'm off to Hoboken now for a rehearsal - I will love you more when I get some sleep.
Love Pierce x
After the tremendous success of my St Patrick's Day gig at the ultra-classy, Joe's Pub I was asked to partake in a memorial concert for Sinead O'Connor and Shane McGowan with a line-up of amazing Irish artists. It gave me a chance to re-connect with my friend Glen Hansard. We had met in Clonakilty a few years back, when a shared fan, booked us both for her fiftieth birthday. David Gray, Billy Bragg, Imelda May, Lisa Hannigan, Floggin Molly, The Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, the list goes on forever - it's a yearly concert for charity, this was an Irish night. I was asked to be "the Voice of God" so called, because every year they have a mystery voice read informative and well written introductions off stage and this time it was me.
It's funny, It has caused more intrigue and interest than if I was on stage. People are writing to me on Facebook, wondering if it was my voice. I got a kick out of it, and slipped in my own opinions, favouring people like Kirsty McColl, who deserved as much fuss as Shane McGowan when she died.