The Frames, Vicar Street - Sunday 28th May

"And the price of fame
Is that they love you when you're gone"

I saw The Frames the other night in Dublin. This was the third time Ive seen them, and on a return to their Fair City from lengthy touring and movie promotions I was expecting this to be a show to remember.

Glen was on form with his usual Irish schtick a charm offensive which would win over even the staunchest critic, however heckling and general loutishness in the crowd did spoil some of the more sensitive moments of the night.

The atmosphere in the venue resembled a football match at times, with many members of the crowd more interested in Damien Duff's right sock hanging over the balcony above than the band in front of them. Pearls before swine may sound a bit harsh, but possibly fair in this case.

To their credit, the band didnt seem to let it bother them, and played through the hits, along

with a large majority of recent Long Player 'The Cost'. Opening with 'Fitzcarraldo' was a statement of intent which showed a confidence in their back catalogue. This allows skip tracks (for me anyway) such as 'Stars Are Underground' a new lease of life in a live show which lasted nearly two hours.

The Frames truely are masters of their art. The guitar and violin combine to paint soundscapes which build and build around songs of hope and love. Their rythym section is flawless, and Glen combines the innate ability of the Irish to tell a story, with a voice that sings heartbreak and screams passion in a single phrase.

With the mutted critical response to The Cost however, recognition of this bands art may be a long way off.

On sad songs Glen sings:
"And the price of fame
Is that they love you when you're gone"

For me this laments the fact to and be remembered as a good band is probably not to be remembered at all.

Time will tell whether they make the grade in a very exclusive club, but on tonights showing this is a band which deserves to endure.

Four Stars ****.

Wisdom in Books Indeed.

Imagine your standing in a library. One of those really old libraries with really high ceilings and the individual lights over each desk.

There are so many books here that they have one of those little ladders with wheels on hand to reach those which are too high.

The air is thick with a musty smell that is only ever a combination of dried paper and aged leather bound volumes, and on the otherside of the room there is even a little old lady called Agnes who helps you find whatever you require.

WISDOM IN BOOKS is about living in this library. Its about understanding the world around us by interrpreting all sources which are available, delving below the surface of everything to find the truth, and investigating that truth to see how it applies to life.

Ordering My CD collection.

Having just finished my final tangle of examinations, (I'm not sure what the correct collective term is exams, so I have improvised here..) I have found myself with a lot of time on my hands.

It hilarious that when I was studying there was a million and one things that I wanted to do but couldn't, and now that I can do anything at all, fun ideas seem to have evaporated completely.

The most interesting thing which I have managed to do today is to reorganise my CD collection. (This was a more detailled process than it sounds, requiring an entire Saturday afternoon to check that everything is in the right place, clean and replace broken cases, and fully organise everything.)

I did think of storing everything autobiographically in a Rob-Fleming-High-Fidelity style haze, however on reflection, I'm much too half assed for such things, and instead decided to plump for the standard althabetical approach.





Through the afternoon, I have drawn a few conclusions. Here they are..

I own CDs which I should be **ASHAMED** of, but strangely am not.
(Two S-Club7 albums, B*Witched's debut and Aqua's Aquarium to name a few..)

• I own one album by a band whose name begins with 'Z'.
• The most common name first letter is 'S'.
• Hardly no-ones band begins with 'H', 'Q', or 'X'.
• I have too much money, and I spend too much money on CDs..

It has been on my mind recently that we are all a patchwork quilt of the things that we love.. We define ourselves in terms of the things that we are interested in and the activities that we do.

This definition bleeds into every facet of our lives - the friends that we choose, the clothes that we wear, and the places that we go.

When I accepted Jesus, I knew that I was crucified with Christ - I am now made new. Jesus living inside of me, and the Holy Spirit working through me. So why so I want to hold onto these earth things, which have no real value in the end?

I am also very conscious that we sometimes use these worldly things as a barrier to the protect us from other people. In the end sometimes I think that we are all just trying to "out cool" each other.

I guess I should try to start thinking of myself as defined in Christ, and not Companct Discs..

"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20).