No lipo-suction, but a (forced) de-tox for the brain as the new millennium saw me ensconced as a permanent resident of HP Central, attempting to replace the perhaps irreplaceable Niall Stanage as staff writer. His help during my internship was invaluable, despite my appalling attempt to impersonate his voice.
First major event of the year for me was the hotpress Uncovered gig at HQ, an opportunity to see just how lucky we are to work within the Irish music Industry, with talents as diverse as The Chieftains, The Undertones and Siniad O Connor (wow!) reminding us that we ve a lot to be proud of.
A happy accident led to my presence in Whelan s on the night that Andy Irvine was joined by Christy Moore and Donal Lunny, giving us an hour of classic Planxty that I m not ashamed to say moved me to tears. Please sirs, can we have some more ?
I was again moved to tears, this time of embarrassment, at Dylan Moran s Dublin show earlier this year, due to an assinine heckle, (my first, and last, ever I swear) that saw even people sitting near me pulling back their seats for fear of association.
A chance meeting with Tabby Callaghan of Sligo rockers Petronella has led to an ongoing friendship that s all the more pleasurable since this year has seen them hurtling towards stardom with a seemingly unstoppable momentum.
My alternative career as a club dj took a turn for the better that led me to leave my regular Temple Bar residency to play for 10,000 mad-for-it kids at Total Beat 2000, opening with U2 s Where The Streets Have No Name ; a gamble that paid off, and I thank Ger for the party afterwards.
Returning from their Morrissey support tour Dubliner s Sack lost no time in producing what was one of my favourite albums of the year Adventura Majestica; surely their time is now. Other favourite albums were Neil Young s Silver and Gold, Siniad s Faith And Courage, and XTC s Wasp Star, while Irish outfit Skindive delivered what has to be my single of the year, Solid State Pacifier .
Neil Jordan s End Of The Affair reminded me of everything that s beautiful and awful about falling in, though never really out, of love, and the movie version of Hornby s High Fidelity contained the funniest scene I ve ever witnessed. Pity about the music. Though I didn t read many books, I thank the person who insisted I read Sombrero Fallout, by Richard Brautigan, like Olaf Tyransen s The Story Of O, almost too close for comfort.
More tears, with Uaneen Fitzsimon s mother chiding us lest the tragic loss of her daughter should spoil our Christmas. The unfathomable elegance of that. You can see where the red-head got it from. Goodbye, girl.