Post-event Press release, 25th October

The Hats are Off

If you’ve been scouring event guides for something cool happening in Dublin, hopefully you stumbled across The Hat’s Off, the new series of cocktail parties that kicked off in serious style last night at the Morrison.


And it seems like the crowd at The Hat’s Off know how to throw a party. With a stellar performance from well known Dublin band Halfset, old school tunes from festival favourite DJ Will Softly, the atmosphere, and the dance floor, were buzzing. But as with all good things, the genius was in the detail – from free cocktails flowing and Lindt chocolates nestled in the garden to slick projections from Simon Mc Keagney and dancing couple painted as chameleons, it was a genuinely spectacular affair. Beautiful plants were supplied by MyPlant, for the sheer leafiness of it.


There were games too, oh yes! In the interest of a bit of camaraderie, everyone was given a password, and each password matched one other person’s. You can guess the aim of the game, and what hijinx resulted! Strangers talked and laughed like old friends! Well, people got to know each other a bit, and Ailbhe Malone and Grace McElvoy, who were the first to find each other, even won a prize! Wholesome fun was had by all.

So hat’s off to ‘The Hat’s Off!’ for the party, and to what is just the beginning of a new movement to shake up Dublin’s nightlife scene once and for all.

For more information, contact: PR representative Ruta P. on +353 85 1349564 or ruta@talentedminds.ie

Press Release, 15 Oct 08

INVITATION: Dying for a Party?

A new series of parties – The Hat’s Off – are coming to give the Dublin nightlife scene a good and proper shaking up! Offering free cocktails (it’s recession chic), great new music, secret performance acts and prizes for the best socialites, if you’re up for something totally different, and a bit magic, the crowd at The Hat’s Off will not let you down.

The first of a series of cocktail nights will be held at The Morrison Hotel on the 24^th October, featuring well-known Dublin band Halfset and old-school DJ Will Softly.

Just recently re-emerged with their long-awaited new album Another Way of Being There, Halfset are all set to give the sort of performance that has earned them their reputation as one of the genuinely coolest and most interesting bands kicking around the Dublin music scene. Et sequens, a unique and original package of the best old-school party music with DJ Will Soflty, will set you in the dancing mood and make you pleasantly surprised.

Besides the wonderful music acts you’ll get to play a game of talk-and-find to help you meet everyone and make sure that when the dancing starts, the atmosphere of the party will be very…familiar! Some secret prizes are to be given away for the winners too…

Buy your tickets in advance and come early – the party is promised to be a total sell out because of the amazing entertainment acts and free cocktails for the first hour!

The tickets cost €20, are sold in: City Discs, Temple Bar and Road Records, Fade St.

More on: http://thehatsoff.blogspot.com

More on the entertainers: http://www.myspace.com/halfset
http://www.oneworldsounds.com

/ENDS

For more information, contact: PR representative Ruta P. on +353 85 1349564 or ruta@talentedminds.ie

Tickets sale has started!

Today, the ticket outlets - City Discs, Road Records - have started selling the tickets - hurry up!

‘The Hat’s Off’ tickets, displayed below, are issued on behalf of talentedminds & DRINK and are subject to the following Terms and Conditions:

• The event may be recorded / photographed and filmed live for the use in the forum of sound recordings, television videotapes and other means audio and audiovisual reproductions, now known to be invented.
• The purchaser of the ticket consents to participate in the said recordings and grant all necessary consents for Performers Protection Act.
• We regret that tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase, - statutory rights no affected.
• None of the promoters, performers, sponsors, venue or ticket outlets shall be responsible in any manner whatsoever in any property loss, destruction or theft which shall be entirely at the Holders own risk save where and to the extent that same arises from breach of contract (not due to an event unforeseen circumstances) by, or the negligent act or omission of, such organisers, promoters, performers, sponsors, venue or ticket outlets.
• The organisers reserve the right to refuse admittance to the ground or any part of the ground or to remove any person or persons from the ground for reasons of public safety, overcrowding or otherwise as the Organisers will have no liability for any damage or loss whether consequential or otherwise save that the Organisation will refund to the owner of a valid ticket.
• Ticketholder is responsible for care of ticket after purchase. Sellers/Agents are not responsible for loss or damage of the ticket. Admission by full ticket only – no re-admission unless by prior arrangement.
• Buy your tickets from authorised outlets only – (City Discs, Temple Bar, in close proximity to the Temple Bar Music Centre and the Irish Film Institute; Road Records,16B Fade St Dublin 2), those seeking to gain admission using a counterfeit ticket will be prosecuted.
• Holder assumes all risk of injury and all responsibility for property loss, destruction or theft and releases promoters, performers, sponsors, venue, ticket outlets and their employees from any liability thereafter.
• The ticket outlets are acting merely as retailers of the tickets at a request of the promoter and accept no liability whatsoever for any loss incurred by the purchaser of the tickets if the event does not take place in whole or in part.
• Before entering, all patrons will be subject to a search in a manner permissible under the law. In the interests of public safety where offensive materials are found, anyone refusing to consent to personal search will be denied entry.
• The making of a recording of performers performance without their prior consent in writing is a criminal offence. The use of cameras or recording equipment is prohibited.
• Ticket outlet’s handling charge is included in the price of the ticket - €20
• Event will take place rain or shine.
• Crowd surfing / moshing is not permitted. Offenders will be removed from the venue without refund.
• Tickets may not be resold for more than face value.
• The tickets shall not be used as a prize in any lottery or competition or for any other promotional or advertising purpose unless expressly authorised in writing by the organiser.

Thank you for your cooperation!

One World Sounds :: Dj Will Softly

One World Sounds has evolved from Dj Will Softly's passion of music.

Over the last 6 years after a career in top end audio, pa systems and Irish Seeds-avers! He has had a fundamental role in establishing Ruaille Buaille (Co Clare) and Club Oa2 (Galway) as the premium world music dance clubs in the west of Ireland.

Will has supported many national and international artists including Nitin Sawhney, Femi Kuti, Emmanuel Jal, Wiggle, Intin, Asian Dup Foundation, Mad Professor, Antibalas, Aalabama 3 and Mr Whippy Sound System.

He has also performed in the Body and Soul areas of The Midlands Music Festival, Electric Picnic, Garden Party, Life festival. Together with being a resident Dj at The Festival of World Cultures for the last 4 years. He is also very supportive of charity events especially those involved with the environment and people care.

Where possible Will always uses his own state of the art Funktion One Sound System. The musical experience and resolution of this pa is without equal. He collaborates with the designers and distributors to obtain optimum performance.

So providing a unique and original package that has been setting the world music scene alight all over Ireland.

Halfset – Another Way of Being There

Three years on from their debut album Dramanalog, Dublin-based Halfset re-emerge with their long-awaited second album, Another Way of Being There. In many ways, it has been a metamorphosis of sorts and not just down to the evolving line-up. Three became four with one departure and the arrival of Cillian McDonnell (drums) and Sinéad Nic Gearailt (harp & rhodes), apart from offering fresh legs, it signposted a new direction.

Another Way of Being There discards the memorable samples and constructed loops that littered Dramanalog, relying completely on the sound this foursome makes when they get into a room together. Gone are the samples and found sounds and instead there is a sense of taking a musical line for a walk; of democratic improv; of starting with a structure but allowing it room to expand and compress. The genesis comes from an electronic framework kicked off by Stephen Shannon, from here Jeff Martin, Cillian McDonnell and Sinéad Nic Gearailt offer their own layers and interpretations, often guiding the songs in a different direction. It couldn’t be further from what Dramanalog offered.

The bulk of the record was written in a small cottage in Co. Leitrim, then recorded and produced over three years by Stephen Shannon at his Experimental Audio Studio in Dublin (Stephen is a most sought after producer, having worked on releases for Cap Pas Cap, Adrian Crowley and Crayonsmith among others). Crafted and re-drafted, Another Way of Being There is an album heaving with melody, awash with layers and multiple tones. You frequently notice a dialogue between instruments, as on ‘Work’ where guitars talk to drums who want answers from the Rhodes piano. It’s a see-saw of sound. The synth bass at play can also be found on what is certainly the album’s standout track - ‘Salmon’. Cello, viola and violin paint a sleepy, sunset vibe played by Marja Tuhkanen and Kevin Murphy. D.H. Skogen of US band Cougar guests on ‘Desire Lines’. His percussion is a subtle foil to the whirl of vibraphones, moog and cello stabs near the end. Musically, it’s the song that tells the biggest story, with a narrative all of its own. Closer ‘Adrift’ is the real surprise, it’s a beautiful haze of sound that casts a lasting spell, and is a fitting bookend to a sublime and compositionally-taut album.

With four very different musicians working together it’s often difficult to pin down a collective mood on the record but there is an overwhelming sense of hope about these 10 songs. Another Way of Being There places originality at the centre of Halfset’s musical agenda. It takes the tentative steps of Dramanalog and turns them into epic strides.

Accompanying the CD release of Another Way of Being There is a bonus DVD featuring a number of live performances and 10 visual pieces to accompany each album track. These visuals also serve as the backdrop to Halfset’s live shows.

Another Way Being There is released on 3^rd October 2008 on Casino Gravity [CG07]

Tickets

'The Hat's Off' ticket sales are starting tomorrow - 9th Oct.

You can buy them in:

• City Discs, Temple Bar (in close proximity to the Temple Bar Music Centre and the Irish Film Institute).

• Road Records, 16B Fade St Dublin 2.

Ticket price - €20 (inc. hand. fee)

Hurry hurry! :-)

Halfset

For video presentation press the image below: