Eddie’s Bar-The Photos!

Well it’s a week since I’ve returned from Portugal and now I’ve some deadlines outta the way-here’s a fraction of the photos of Eddie’s Bar. Just a word of warning though for the casual reader-what follows is a fuck load of snaps of me throwing up the HORNS beside assorted Iron Maiden memorabilia, so if you don’t rock, then it’s best to look elsewhere…

I’ve wanted to visit Eddie’s Bar ever since I saw a poster for it in Woolies in Newry in about 1990. At that point I’d been a Maiden fanatic for two years and now that I’ve finally visited it, I wanna go back again.

Here’s me outside the place…

At that point I was verrrry relieved that the pub was even open. After a taxi journey of about 20minutes I was starting to get nervous that Steve Harris wouldn’t open the place at all. Thankfully he did, though myself, Carrie and about a dozen Maiden fans all had to sit outside and wait 2hours til they opened up at 10pm (they wouldn’t be fans of rushing themselves in Portugal). Oh, I should also add I nearly got run over by the bar staff’s car..

Anyway, once I get in I find myself a seat beside a framed Aces High poster that’s exactly like the one my brother and me had in our bedroom growing up and I begin looking at all the different Maiden nick nacks.

After about 20minutes having a look around and getting Carrie take a million photos, this nice dude from somewhere in Europe came over and offered to take one of the both of us. Maiden fans truly are the best in the world.

You may notice that we’re standing in front of a Blaze-era Maiden mural. I was really chuffed to see Bayley get as much representation as Bruce and Paul, as he fronted the band during a very difficult time in the band’s history when various UK magazines decided to put the boot in and supported Cobain and Corgan’s decidedly middle class brand of corporate “rebellion” instead of our then “unfashionable” heroes. To be honest it’s a grudge I still bear today and I’ll blog about it at some point, but enough of that. Fuck ‘em-anyone who can’t admit that ‘the Edge of Darkness’ isn’t one of the best Maiden songs of all time is a tool-bag as far as I’m concerned.

Here’s me giving a wee thumb’s up to the Blaze photo, drunkenly re-enacting the time he gave me the same salute during the X Factour in Belfast.

It was at this point that I decided Carrie (the ONLY person there without a Maiden tshirt on) had to get in a pic beside one of the original props from my first ever Iron Maiden record- ‘Live After Death.’

Eventually I felt sorry for her and let her wear my Maiden hoodie. Aren’t I nice?

It’s about this time where I ended up pretty trousered. After sobering up a little when they took off the ‘Dance of Death’ live DVD for an AC/DC one (why?????) we ended up being befriended by a lovely French bloke who encouraged me to drink his home brew…I ended up looking a bit like this bloke afterwards…

Oh, and if you thought you couldn’t get enough Maiden-even the toilets were themed!

From here on in it’s a bit of a blur-so here’s some photos of me having a wee sit down…

Finally, at about half 2 in the morning we got the lovely bar lady to ring us a taxi home. It was then that I befriended an extremely drunk local who said “Excuse me. I can’t speak the English very well, but how you say…..fuck the police!” Naturally enough I found this to be hilarious and I was taken home before I got into any more trouble.

Up the Irons!

Eddie’s Bar Part 1

Finally managed to stick the Portugal photos onto the laptop and I’ll post some of the Eddie’s Bar pics up soon, but for now, I thought I’d share this image….

Residual Effect

So I’m back from Portugal, feeling slightly frazzled and dog-eared. I’ll post up some pics of Eddie’s Bar soonish, but for now, here’s a transcript of an interview with the mighty Residual Effect who are playing the Big Gig 6(66)  this Friday and if you’ve even the slighest interest in punk rock or metal then come down. It’s only 4 brick in and we’d love to see you there.

Residual Effect

For the last five years Residual Effect have reigned as one of Ireland’s high kings of metal and on Oct 2 they headline the Big Gig 6(66). This issue we met up with the band’s singer Micky Higgins to hear what it’s like being on the frontlines of the metal scene, why cops in Birckenhead don’t like Judas Priest and how tubs of butter can spontaneously combust in the so-called Crystal County.  

Ok, let’s start at the start-tell us the secret origin of Residual Effect. 

“Well, myself, Willie [Caulfield, guitars] and Anto [McKee, bass] formed Residual Effect from the ashes of Spindrift (remember them?) back in 2004. We’d taken a year off and were itching to get gigging again. We knew Antony Weston [drums 2004-2007] was free and Andy McCallister [guitar] was too, so we arranged a practice and it started there. For the first year or so we were driving to Dublin and back twice a week for practice. It was tough going.”

How’s the new(ish) drummer settling in?

“Gerry [Gallagher] came on board last April after Antony decided he wanted to do other things. He’d been a fan of the band already and knew the songs so he slotted right in. It’s worked well so far!”

 

We’ve heard rumours of a new EP. How’s it coming along?

“Yeah, we haven’t recorded in nearly three years! We’re working on a debut album, it’ll be a full length with 10 tracks. We’ve played some of the tracks live so people will be familiar with them, but the rest we’re keeping under wraps. We’re at the stage where we’re looking at studios and producers to work with-it’s an exciting time.”

 

What’s been your favourite gig of the year so far?

 “My personal favorite in the past 12 months was playing with Raging Speedhorn in the Bunker last October. It was their last ever tour and had a lot of sentimental value for me. We’ve been friends since they started out and we’ve played with them many times over the years. It was a good way to go out.”

 

And what’s been the most memorable (for the wrong reasons) over the last five years?

“Can I have more than one answer to this?! Going on stage in Blackburn to no-one but the barman two years ago was pretty grim. Getting our van clamped in Dublin when we supported Soulfly in 2006 and using our first proper gig pay to unclamp it was another memorable one and having the local constabulary raid a gig in Birkenhead (same tour as Blackburn) whilst we were two songs into a set and threaten to arrest Willie for playing the riff to ‘Breaking the Law’ was something we won’t forget. Yeah, we’ve had a few moments…….”

 

What about these rumours about tubs of butter spontaneously combusting during you appearance at the Lowend Festival in Waterford….?

“Haha, damn the internet for rumours! You’d best ask another Belfast band about that, who don’t ‘sit down!’ We spent the whole weekend in the local church praying for everyone’s souls. Honestly……”

 

What was the one moment growing up where you decided you wanted to be in a band?

“I’d always wanted to be in a band, from I was a wee lad rocking out to ‘Appetite for Destruction.’ Then I was kind of thrown into it, I started out playing the drums when I was 15 because my friend’s band needed a drummer. I had my kit for a week and we played our first gig in the Rosetta in December 1994. I quickly decided I was pretty crap at it, so then I decided to try singing, I’m still deciding if I’m crap or not.”

 

Do the Residual boys get along with the rest of the Irish metal scene? Do you feel like you fit in?

“We might, ahem, possibly have a bit of a reputation for enjoying ourselves too much… but seriously though, I think we get on great with most people. They might not all like or enjoy the music we make and play, but if the dedication and feeling behind it is similar then we have something to talk about. The Irish metal scene has its many genres and sub-genres, but it’s a great community. We’ve never cared about fitting in though, it’s never been about that. If you’re in a band and that’s all you worry about-you’re in the wrong game.” 

 

Personally this writer feels it’s about time the Big List put on a metal and punk gig. How do you feel about playing a show which roots aren’t strictly in the metal scene?

 “It’s a good thing. These things should happen more often in Belfast because there’s A LOT of talent hiding out there and this sort of gig is the perfect exposure. There’s gigs like these almost every night in other parts of the UK and they work. We’re really looking forward to it and we’re really grateful for the chance to play. Oh, and I promise we’ll behave…..”

Residual Effect, the Lobotomies and Gacys Threads play the Big Gig 6(66) on Oct 2 in the Spring and Airbrake. Admission is £4. For more information visit www.myspace.com/residualeffect.

Leavin’

Tomorrow (Saturday) I’m off to Portugal to visit the Maiden Mecca that is Eddie’s Bar. Now as some people know, Carrie got me flights for my birthday for October, but alas this week Steve Harris decided he wanted to close the pub for good (my luck all over really) and this Saturday is the last night it’ll ever be open. After much teeth gnashing we changed our flights and tomorrow I’ll be over there to say goodbye to 20years worth of history. I’m gone until tuesday evening (Sep 29) so if anyone gets in touch and doesn’t hear from me, you know where I am….

Up the Irons!