Music makers hit Dingle for the holy show
Ryan Adams, Daniel Lanois, Fight Like Apes, Candie Payne, Seasick Steve, The Charlatans and Sinéad O’Connor are among the acts set to feature on the new season of RTÉ’s Other Voices.
The show will also feature appearances from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Paddy Casey, Dark Room Notes, Dry County, Halfset, David Geraghty, Foy Vance, The Answer and others.
Filming for the show’s sixth season will commence in St James’s Church, Dingle, Co Kerry on November 30th.
Executive producer Philip King sees the gathering as more of “a musician’s festival” than a TV show. “It’s a context for all these musicians to come together,” King adds. “They talk about it to other musicians. Steve Earle might mention it to someone or Duke Special will say you should give that show in Dingle a go.
“They know this is a place where music is cherished. The thing happens in the church, but it emanates out around the town. Things happen and that’s the magic of Other Voices.”
Planning for the show is a year-round affair that begins with music producer Aoife Woodlock’s talent search at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
“Aoife will come back with a hit list of acts and we start with that.” King says. “This is the edge of Europe and there are huge difficulties attached to putting an event like this together. People have to want to make the effort to come.”
Despite the show’s lengthy tenure, discussions with RTÉ are always tough.
“RTÉ has contributed hugely to making this show and giving people a platform which wouldn’t be there otherwise,” he says. “But it’s always difficult because you have to sit down every year and convince people that the show should and must be done. Slots and budgets are always difficult to find.”
King doesn’t find the show’s usual late-late slot a problem because of changes in viewing patterns.
“The broadcasting eco-system has changed and more people are watching Other Voices online. I watch my own children with the Sky Plus box and you realise the schedule is dead. Technology has enabled people to watch what they want when they want it.”
Other Voices 6 will be aired on RTÉ2 in 2008
Its a good line up. Hopefully the acts will suit the setting. The Rapture didn’t and so it didn’t work too well. An entire audience sitting during a Rapture concert? Whats the world come to?!
Comment by Daniel | November 16, 2007 at 11:16 am“Slots and budgets are always difficult to find.”
Only difficult because RTE have the cultural appreciation of a slimy J Cloth. Other Voices, followed by the Last Broadcast, are the only watchable shows commisioned by the braying donkeys in charge of national programming. And even still: Paddy Casey? Glen Hansard? Meh. Seasick Steve should be great, if he’s the raggle-taggle chap from Jools Holland last year…
Comment by Naomi | November 16, 2007 at 12:39 pmIs John Kelly presenting? Please tell me they’ve got rid of him. Please? He’s terrible for a show like this because he thinks hes as important as the acts.
Comment by Rasputin | November 16, 2007 at 12:46 pmnaomi - philip king was very open about that - both the fact that it’s a struggle every year AND there wouldnt be a show without RTE. I mean, can you imagine TV3 doing something like this? And I found his comments on the scheduling particularly interesting - I’d love to see figures on the numbers who are viewing online
Oh and yes, its the same wonderful Seasick Steve, the new Ted Hawkins.
Rasputin - yes, John Kelly is the presenter.
Comment by Jim Carroll | November 16, 2007 at 1:03 pmJohn Kelly is a top bloke but sucks as a TV presenter. Why do RTE (and the BBC for that matter!)insist that their radio personalities double job on the TV? Radio personalities rarely, if ever, translate well to the goggle box.
Comment by Matt Vinyl | November 16, 2007 at 2:02 pmThe tickets sold out in 20 minutes last Saturday in Dingle. You buy the ticket for the night not knowing what act is going to perform I think.
Comment by Shane | November 16, 2007 at 3:53 pmPretty decent lineup alright, very happy to see Daniel Lanois in there, he’s fantastic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoaFCEwS134
Although I can’t understand why they have The Answer in there…
Comment by flynnduism | November 16, 2007 at 4:29 pmI like Other Voices and am glad RTE have decided to back it for a 6th run.
Perhaps RTE’s continued patronage is due to show’s the unique property. They get some bloody good performances that rival Jools Holland.
One of the funniest episodes had Asian Dub Foundation playing Flyover in the church with the locals in an Arran jumper was giving it large.
Comment by markg | November 16, 2007 at 5:22 pmMy all-time fave OV moment was when Liam O’Maonlai and John Kelly went up a mountain. O’Maolai started doing the sean-nos thing and suddenly gripped JK’s hands and stared him out of it. The look on JK”s face is priceless. Sure, it’s worth seeing again….
http://www.rte.ie/tv/othervoices/20060201otherv.html
Comment by Jim Carroll | November 16, 2007 at 5:29 pmOh yeah that was also a classic!
I keep forgetting they have ths show archived online.
Here’s the ADF clip http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/228-2120231.smil
Fast forward to 17 minutes and watch the flaying arms.
Comment by markg | November 16, 2007 at 5:35 pmI like John Kelly on this show. The professionalism he demonstrated in (just about) concealing his distain for Damien Rice last year was noting short of outstanding. Decent line up for series six too, I’m really surprised they’ve lasted this long given RTE’s broken record with music. I reckon they should lose the rock element though - high energy bands in churches just don’t mix -and bring in more electronically minded acts.
Glad it’s coming back though, there’s been some really good stuff on it over the years, and some awful shite. I also liked Hansard when he was presenting it *ducks for cover*
Comment by All you can eat buffet | November 16, 2007 at 9:56 pmAh, Other Voices..did my undergraduate dissertation on the first season. The gentleman that is Phillip King let me interview him, and even then he was happy to acknowledge the difficulties faced when making the programme. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get back down since that first series,but I’d love to, as it’s an amazing week. I think they’ve done well in keeping it going and widening its remit and I wish them all the best. I still cringe when I see Mr Hansard introducing the first series, i think he comes across terribly, the difference when the cameras weren’t rolling and when he had to introduce peope properly was striking,he was extremely uncomfortable..
Comment by ciaran | November 18, 2007 at 2:47 pmanyone who can conceal their distain for damien rice shows superhuman restraint in my book. I’m getting angry just writing his name
Comment by Enda | November 19, 2007 at 2:53 pm