I'm not going to lie, I love the Wonder Villains. A lot.
Ever since I first stumbled across them at Glasgowbury a couple of years ago I've been hooked. They're just so much fun, and it's such a nice change to hear songs about TV instead of unrequited love - finally something I, as a 20 year old can really relate to!

So Wednesday 22nd May saw my chance to tick two things off my summer to do list: seeing the Wonder Villains again and checking out Limelight 2 since the overhaul. Doors opened at 9pm, with support from Audio Cavalry, Before Machines and Octobomb DJs providing inter-band entertainment.

First thing's first, it took me far longer than it should to figure out which venue the gig was in. I'd only heard about it on Facebook, which said the gig was in Limelight, so it took a bit of super-sleuthing to find out which Limelight they were talking about.

Limelight 2 is its usual dark and dingy self, although it is a little less dark and dingy than usual, everything's cleaner, brighter and just a lot nicer in general. The real change is the stage - it's a proper big boy stage now instead of a raised platform with little to no barriers - altogether a good move.

Entry was £3, about £1 a band, so not bad value at all! We arrived as doors opened, so were the first there for a good fifteen minutes or so, but no queue for the bar and the pick of tables? Sounds good to me. 

Octobomb DJs were playing some really good tunes when we entered, the vibe was all a bit 80s, a bit retro, without being kitsch, perfect for a Wonder Villains gig. 

As Audio Cavalry hit the stage at 10.19 precisely, the place was still a bit empty, but for a Wednesday night gig, the turn out was actually pretty respectable. Audio Cavalry are really young, but at times really soulful, they looked a bit nervous to start, but maybe that's their thing. It's hard to describe their style, 'diverse' would maybe cover it - everything from space age, sci fi sounding tunes to a lovely cover of Lana Del Rey's Born to Die.

Before Machines came on at 11.05pm with mountains of energy and their unique brand of staccato stage presence.

Wonder Villains were on at 11.45, a little later than scheduled, but these things never run on time -kicking things off with TV to really let the audience know what they were in for. Eimear greeted the audience with a coy "So aye, we're the Wonder Villains" and then they were off, with the set list written on their arms to keep track. 

They blasted through Peter, Zola, 33 (Cheylenne's favourite number apparently) and new single Blonde, then Cheylenne's keyboard collapsed. This didn't phase the foursome however, and the keyboard was picked up straight away and rested on an amp as if nothing had happened. Before long the stand was resurrected and their youthful bouncing about continued.

It was a fun night to say the least, the Wonder Villains jumped, danced, chatted and giggled their way through the set, delivering their signature pop whirlwind that we all know and love - all in all a great night out.
 

Laura Caldwell


I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.

So last weekend saw Mental Deficiency’s 5th Anniversary Show go off with a bang! With support from The Runaway Bears, Eighty Four, Little Miss Stakes and BeeMickSee, there was no doubt this would be an interesting night out, to say the least. 

Now as soon as I walked through the doors of Stiff Kitten everything got a little hazy (that was maybe something to do with the shots of jaeger we’d downed before we went out, but who knows? ) - so forgive me for the lack of any great detail in this review. However,  anyone who knows me knows that Stiff is my all time favourite place to drink; it’s dark, it’s dingy and it’s filled with good times and last Friday 10th May was certainly no different.    

Things kicked off at 9pm and the place filled up pretty quickly. Stage times looked like this: Eighty Four – 9.15pm, The Runaway Bears – 10pm, Little Miss Stakes – 10.45pm, BeeMickSee – 11.30pm and Mental Deficiency – 12.15pm.

Little Miss Stakes tore up the stage, with lots of UV lights and strobes, but BeeMickSee and Paul Denver really stole the show as far as support was concerned. There’s something heart warming about seeing a skinny white boy (in the most endearing way possible) strut around the stage with the audience in the palm of his hand – and that’s exactly what the Oregon born Belfast boy did. It was slightly surreal and very very entertaining (it’s not everyday that you see an artist end his set by slithering off stage on his belly). 

In between sets, our very own Chris (Los Muertes) Caldwell DJed up a storm, playing such homegrown favourites as The Wonder Villians’ new single Blonde, and a whole lotta Pocket Billiards, gearing us up for the local festival season! So many gigs just stick on a CD between bands and having a live DJ really created the party atmosphere that a Mental Def party truly deserves.

Next up were the boys themselves,; pyjama bottomed, top hatted and all sequined up. There’s not really much point in even attempting to describe a Mental Def gig, but this one had it all – tons of energy, catchy songs, extravagant costumes and respect for women. 

Mental Def are five years strong, and hopefully they'll be around for a hell of a lot longer. With them you'll be guaranteed a good night out. You may not remember it. But it'll be good nonetheless.

Laura Caldwell

I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.

Bomb City 7 coming out of some sort of semi-hiatus and blasting your earholes with Punk-Rap is reason enough to get to this gig, but throw in MC Lars and it doubles the urgency. MC Lars is an MC from America(so you know he's good), skilled in the arts of the Nerdcore scene. He can also rap as Edgar Allen Poe, which for anyone watching The Following on TV recently, is a titillating concept.  Here's one of his Vids for "Flow like Poe"
Where: Menagerie
When: Mon 20th May 2013
Damage: £5

Gig of the week is a new thing we're trying.  There seems to be so many gig about, so we're gonna try and pick the best one and feature it every week. I'll try and do it every week. I promise. Wish me luck.

Chris "Goddamn" Caldwell
Currently enjoying the spoils of our current "Summertime". I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I'm in the middle of making a short film so that's keeping me busy and off the streets. I Co-created this pastiebap.com empire and I do some of this writing. You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both

So what's everyone doing on Friday night? No plans so far? OK Good! This Friday (Tomorrow) Shizznigh Promotions are throwing the party of the year. For a mere £6 at the Stiff Kitten you can see 5 bands including Little Miss Stakes, Bee Mick See and the mighty MENTAL DEFICIENCY! This is their 5th year anniversary show with all kinds of things planned, new songs, old faces, new videos...you get the idea with that one. PLUS IMMA BE DJING. Well DJing is probably being a bit kind but i'll be there pushing buttons on a laptop and making music happen (don't want to give away too many trade secrets) between bands and after the head liners. I'll be playing a whole mix of songs that people don't want and even some that they do.  It'll be eclectic to say the least.  that's not enough you say? Well the first 100 in get a free goodie bag, god knows what's in them but free stuff is always (usually) good.  It all starts at 9pm and the running order looks like this -

Doors
9pm

Eighty Four:9:15PM / 9:45PM

The Runaway Bears 10:00PM / 10:30PM

Little Miss Stakes 10:45PM / 11:15PM

BeeMickSee 11:30PM / 12:00PM

Mental Deficiency 12:15PM / 1:00PM

Dj set by Chris Los Muertes Caldwell between
bands and till close at 2am.

DRINK PROMOS ALL NIGHT!

Its good when you get all the stage times before you go isn't it. Theres a sweet retro wee promo vid above that the Mental Def guys made.   Come on down and hassle me to play songs that I don't want to play, so I can lie and say I don't have them when I secretly do.  Eveyone loves Scorpion right?

Chris Caldwell
Just a guy living in a crazy world. Enjoying the spoils of our
current "Summertime". I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I'm in
the middle of making a short film so that's keeping me busy and off the streets.
 I Co-created this pastiebap.com empire and I do some of this writing.
You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both.

The East of Belfast has a wee secret that it's been hiding. Not for very long, but they've been trying to keep quiet about this place so we don't try and claim it for the city centre!  That Secret is Baja Taqueria. I'm not one to get caught up in the Burrito wars. Where people shed blood and fists fly to defend the honour of Boojum.  Where Mex fell and died (RIP) and where Chalcos are painted as  the bolshy outsiders. I take what i want from where I want. I loved the pulled pork in Mex, I love the burritos in Chalcos and Boojum do a mean Burrito bowl.  Baja Taqueria however has been quietly lurking in the background. Starting life about 2 years ago in St. Georges Market and their current shop in the east, they recently had to pull out of the market because the shop was doing so well.  I'd heard whispers about this place for a while so on my birthday i decided to nip down for my Birthday lunch after getting some work done at the Black Wolf Tattoo in Dundonald.

Baja Taqueria is a kind of Mexican cantina establishment. It reminds me of eating breakfast burritos many years ago in a place in Los Angeles. Basic but clean and with character.  As we went in we perused the walls for all the things they have to offer.  The american lady behind the counter ushered us and and probed us to find out what we wanted.  Once we had told her that we basically didn't have a clue she was quick to recommend dishes for us. My wife had one of their Fried Burrito Bowls, basically a huge tortilla moulded into a bowl shape and then fried and all the Burrito ingredients inside. She opted chicken with guacamole. The salsa comes in 4 different degrees of hotness from mild to Atomic hot.  I had 3 Tacos Chicken, BBQ Chicken and Beef. These came on freshly made corn tortillas with home made salsa and a segment of lime for each. I also got some nachos and salsa with a cheese sauce. The cheese sauce was amazing, like nothing I've ever had before.  From what I can gather there are mainstays and then at different times there are extra dishes available.

My sister and her girlfriend had Chimi changas which are basically fried burritos these came back crisp and succulent just how they should be.  To drink we ordered some of their mexican sodas "Jarritos" . I had Mexican cola and my wife had Quava Goyave after the lady recommended it, the sun was shining that day and as it streamed through the window we sat beside these drinks were the perfect way to help cool down.  We paid about £7 each for our meals which is very competitive and as we left we got a loyalty card, a good excuse to come back and fill it up!

This is Mexican American food that's fresh and surprisingly light on the stomach. The portions are large but you don't leave with that stomachs-about-to-burst feeling that so many other places leave you with. 

 Viva Baja Taqueria.

Chris Caldwell
Just a guy living in a crazy world. Enjoying the spoils of our current "Summertime". I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I'm in the middle of making a short film so that's keeping me busy and off the streets.  I Co-created this pastiebap.com empire and I do some of this writing. You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both.

Bruiser Theatre Company have returned to The Mac with yet another spell-binding performance. Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee may seem a mouthful to us, but that's nothing for the six quirky kids of Putnam County. The musical comedy follows these kids in their pursuit of being crowned winner of 'the Bee' and ultimately not being seen as losers by their classmates (and parents). Each of the kids has a very distinctive character which is played to perfection as these outsiders compete for top prize.

There's William Barfee with his magic foot, Marcy Parks the overachiever, Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre with her two dads, Leaf Coneybear the insecure, innocent one, Chip Tolentino the reigning champion and Olive Ostrovsky the shy one. There's also the adults to contend with: host Rona Lisa Peretti, Douglas Panch the vice superintendent and Mitch Mahoney the Comfort Counsellor.

The backing band is visible, but also blends into the scenery and you often forget that they're there, but they definitely make the show shine as they don't miss a beat - really adding to the overall atmosphere.

All of the reviews that I have read compared Spelling Bee to Glee, but personally, I don't really think that that does it justice. This production is a delight; it's strange, awkward and hilarious with tons of charm. It's heartwarming without being cliched or overdone. It's humorous without being predictable. It's a definite must see, even if you don't really like musicals. 

For a homegrown cast, the standard is excellent, their singing is astounding and the accents are really good as well -there's even a guest appearance from a giant Jesus. It's not all about the cast though, it's the little details - several audience members also take part in the Bee and there's American candy given out to the audience which helps to set the scene and make the whole thing a bit more personal.

Overall, the one word that I would use to describe The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee would be 'fun', just plain fun from beginning to end and I highly recommend that you give it a go!

Laura Caldwell

I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.

If you're a fan of Johnny Cash, then you'll more than likely have heard At Folsom Prison or At San Quentin - the prison albums. In homage to these highly successful albums and to the Man in Black in general, the JP Mac Johnny Cash Tribute Show recently played 3 sold out shows at the newly renovated Crumlin Road Gaol.

Doors opened at 7pm, and for those who were there early there was a bar set up in the Inner Circle of the Gaol, providing a rather interesting atmosphere if you've never drank in a prison before... 

There was a choice of either sitting in the normal rows of seats, a balcony area up stairs or a few tables to the side of the room, there was even a dance floor and another bar situated at the back of the room. Pretty good facilities for a prison!

To start the night off, the band came on and played a few country classics and then the man himself was introduced. Dressed all in black with just a guitar, JP kicked the show off with Folsom Prison Blues, moving onto A Boy Named Sue and then a few other country songs including Willie Nelson's On The Road Again and some Kris Kristofferson.

JP sounds just like Johnny, in fact scarily so - from his haunting bass-baritone voice to the way he holds himself; hunched, introverted and modest.

It was clear however, that JP's voice had had a pounding throughout the last few shows as he was swigging on honey and had to leave it up to his band at a few points. This just went to show his dedication and the sheer amount of effort that goes into a JP Mac show.

After the interval June Carter (JP's sister, Caroline Parker) joined Johnny and the band onstage for Time's A Wastin' and a few other country staples. This was followed by a few solo performances of Crazy and Walkin' After Midnight by Patsy Cline and then Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walkin'.

JP was back on his own for a fantastic rendition of Johnny's cover of Nine Inch Nail's Hurt - sure to give you shivers. Next up was San Quentin, Sam Hall and then a few more duets with Caroline, including Jackson and crowd favourite, Ring of Fire.

Overall, this was a fantastic night out for all and a real treat for any country music fan. From the setting, to the band, to the man himself, this show had everything you need for a good night out. 

Luckily JP Mac and his band will be back at the Crum in June for a few more shows! 

Laura Caldwell

I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.

Mikeys Deli has been open just over 9 months now and to be fair I've walked past it a few times and never ventured in. Recently I ended up with a wee flyer from them and seeing the fare on offer thought it was time to venture round.  Mikeys Deli is situated right beside the northern Whig. It has a few colourful chairs and tables outside and a chopper push bike. It's a New York style deli. Think actual Neow Yoik deli as opposed to Americana Diner that we're all to familiar with these days.  When you go in its a small place but with pretty ample seating for a place of its size. the main seating is a long table by the window - perfect for people watching while you eat.

The far wall is covered in signatures and anyone can sign it. The walls are covered in posters of American films and in the corner is a bookshelf filled with all kinds of American toys -  Spiderman, storm troopers and the Stay Puft man all feature.  There's a hustle and bustle about the place with people constantly coming in and grabbing a sandwich and leaving.  A man in a hot dog costume comes in while we're there to collect leaflets. It feels alive.  We order our food at the long counter, a Sloppy Joe meal and a portion of hot wings.  The sloppy Joe (for the uninitiated) is a loose meat burger, a little bit like chilli in a bun. The meal comes with fries and a drink for £5. A small portion of wings is about £3 and has 6 large wings in it and a side salad. It's good value that's for sure. We're eating in so we get our food in wee red baskets, this pleases me greatly, I love eating my food out of these things. Feels more authentic I guess.  The sloppy Joe is delicious, the mince is tender and the sauce is tomatoey and well seasoned, the underlying cheese melted and stringy. The fries are skinny and crisp and as I eat my Sloppy Joe the meat falls out onto the fries, effectively leaving me with a portion of chilli fries. Win:Win.  My preference for wings are for the small variety. These are the larger ones, but they are very nice. The hot sauce could be hotter but the meat is moist and tender and the whole thing has a proper flavour instead of just heat.

I have to mention the staff at Mikey's Deli they were friendly and helpful from the word go. At the end of the wings one of the fellas even brought us over finger bowls. He then brought us a marker pen so we could sign their wall and asked us what we thought about the food and to let him know if  All in all Mikey's was a delight to nip into for lunch, the food was good , the staff were excellent and the craic was high. Next time I'm having the NY Cheese steak. mmmmmmm Cheese Steak.

CHRIS CALDWELL
I have short little T-Rex arms. I love horror movies and NI. I resided in Dundee
for 5 years before returning to NI with a Scottish lady as my wife. Upon
returning I realised just how awesome Belfast had become. Now it's a city
over run with all my favourite things. Currently I'm listening to the new
Fallout Boy single, watching a lot of wrestling and enjoying House of Cards on Netflix. I'm trying to make a short horror movie too, but enough about me tell me more about you? More wine? Don't mind if I do...

I know that the word 'ballet' doesn't usually stir up too much excitement in the hearts of the masses, but I do know that the words 'Matthew Bourne' strike a chord with some. I've seen quite a few Matthew Bourne productions, Edward Scissorhands, Cinderella and Nutcracker! to name a few, and each has taken a new spin on a well loved classic and actually made ballet something that everyone can get excited about.

With this in mind, I couldn't wait to go and see Matthew Bourne's interpretation of Sleeping Beauty at The Grand Opera House, and it definitely didn't disappoint.

The story begins in 1890, and is initially told through the use of large storybook letters being projected onto the curtain - a good way to both set the scene and get around the lack of dialogue in ballet. 

The ballet then begins in the Victorian era and sees a little baby Aurora getting up to mischief.The baby is a puppet operated by members of the company disguised in black. This little puppet undoubtedly steals the show and its antics have the audience in stitches. We then see fairies dancing and casting spells and the evil Carabosse comes to Aurora's bedside to seek revenge for her parents actions. 

Tchaikovsky's original score is magnificent; it's grand, it's dramatic and it's positively rich to listen to. Such a sumptuous score can only be accompanied by the finest costumes and set, and yet again Bourne delivers. The costumes are imaginative and detailed, and the set and backdrop is exactly the same. From the giant glowing moon in the background, to the conveyor belt on stage, to the forest of lights dangling from the ceiling, Sleeping Beauty is a delight to watch, like a fairytale in real life unravelling before you.

The story then leaves this gothic world of fairies and vampires and takes us to the present day for the second act and third acts.

Aside from being eerie and magnificent, Sleeping Beauty (as with all Matthew Bourne's efforts) has a touch of humour and doesn't take itself too seriously. An endearing quality which ingratiates the audience. 

It really was a sight to see andI would definitely recommend going to see any of Matthew Bourne's work, even if you're not a fan of more traditional ballet.

Laura Caldwell

I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV.

When La Tasca in Victoria Square closed last year it was met with great sadness at the Pastiebap Bunker. It was a favourite of ours for 5 years and we had many great dinners, meetings with old friends and family birthdays at it. But alas now it is gone and from the ashes rises a Pheonix in the form of Prezzo. 
The Italian chain has been a mainstay on the “mainland” for many years
now and has a combo of traditional Italian dishes and some modern remixes.  Basically Pasta, pizza and all things Italian.  Prezzo in Belfast opened on Friday 8th March and so the Monday after we took the whole family out to see what the fuss was about.  

You can book online (which is always nice) and so an e-mail and sms (do people still say sms?) message of confirmation later and we were on our way. As we entered the glass front doors the first thing I noticed about the décor is that it is certainly aesthetically pleasing. Tasteful but comfortable looking. Whites and dark woods complement each other nicely and make you feel at ease while you peruse the options on the menu.  And what a lot of options there are on that menu. But I digress. As we entered we were greeted and swiftly shown to our table. A brilliant big round table that seated 8 well. I find round tables are the best for groups as you can see and talk to everyone. Eating out is as much a social experience as it is a culinary one. They seemed to have a lot of round tables and as we walked through we noticed 2 couples with babies and children, so it’s certainly family friendly  I have to comment on the staff who were nothing but wonderful throughout.  They sorted out the heat (too high but soon sorted) checked back regularly and were witty and pleasant the whole night. 

So to the food.  All the usual are here and that’s no bad thing.  The pizzas fall into 3 categories – Classic, light (for the dieters) and VIP. The VIP is described as “Our bigger and crispier pizza, with more toppings, served on wooden boards with your very own pizza cutter.”  They also helpfully offer that as the pizza is quite large you can take 2 sides for a fiver and split the pizza between two. One of our group got the VIP and it was delicious and huge. I’m a massive pizza fan but decided to forgo it this time knowing that I could taste some-one else’s ;).

For starter I shared the “Antipasto Platter - Prosciutto ham, salami milano, spicy ventricina salami, buffalo mozzarella, marinated olives, baby sunblushed tomatoes, fresh rocket and ciabatta bread”  The bread was warm and the prosciutto was soft and not tough.  Everything else tasted fresh and the other 2 I shared it with enjoyed it just as much as I did.  My wife had the fried mozzarella which was crispy and gooey. The pomodoro sauce it was served with was a nice compliment also.

Helpfully for their pastas they offer the option of having 2 smaller sized portions of your choice incase you can’t decide which one you want.  Although not adventurous I chose Spaghetti Carbonara and Spaghetti Bolognaise. I found the Bolognaise pleasing but a tad bland, although others on my group that tried it enjoyed it thoroughly.  The carbonara however is probably the nicest I’ve ever tasted. Silky with a smokey creamy taste. To finish off they offer a mini deserts range, which is a small desert and a hot drink. I had the profiterole which was filled with chocolate cream and drizzled in liquid chocolate, it was light, airy and a great finish to the
meal. I had a coffee as well and with that it was done.

Overall Prezzo was an excellent experience all round and for a place that has only been open 4 days it was impressively efficient.  I look forward to going back and I think it’s a great addition to the already excellent selection in Victoria Square.

CHRIS CALDWELL
I have short little T-Rex arms. I love horror movies and NI. I resided in Dundee for 5 years before returning to NI with a Scottish lady as my wife. Upon returning I realised just how awesome Belfast had become. Now it's a city over run with all my favourite things. Currently I'm listening to the new Fallout Boy single, watching a lot of wrestling and enjoying NowTV and all its Mooooovies