Happy Birthday David Bowie

First published on Studenty.me on 8 Jan 2012.

It's a God-awful small affair to the man with the mousy hair. Or is it? The 65th birthday of David Bowie seems to be all over the news these past few days, as the rockstar officially becomes a pensioner.

Glam rock would never be the same without this London-born icon who has sold over 140 million albums worldwirde, since he smashed his way into the 60s charts and thrilled the world with his countless hits.

This icon has gone through a number of ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, his most famous years being the Ziggy Stardust years in the 70s, in which he experimented with costume, wigs, and make-up, shocking his audiences with his style. He certainly was an unusual star in his youth, but an unforgettable one none-the-less.

image: google

There's a starman waiting for the bus, and he'll be able to ride it for free with his new bus pass. The megastar will now be entitled to a number of benefits in the UK, including a state pension worth a whopping €100. That will certainly add some spare change to his €120m fortune.

Bowie is surprised to still be around, however, as he said back in 2004: "I had this poetic, romantic, kind of juvenile idea that I would be dead by 30.

"But you get past it and suddenly you're 30, and you're 40 and you're 50 and 57 and all that - and it's a new land."

And now he's 65 and still going. His birthday is to be celebrated by thousands. Irish fans will party it up Bowie-style, with wigs, fancy dress, and make-up to do Ziggy Stardust proud on 14 January at a birthdya bash in Dublin's Grand Social venue, where a tribute act, Rebel Rebel will perform some of his hits.

This hero shares his birthday with various other celebrities. On 8 January in various years, other legends were born, including Elvis Presley, Shirley Bassey, Stephen Hawking, and Butterfly McQueen. 8 January certainly is a day for legends.

8 Jan 2012

by Jessica Thompson

Grandmaster Flash Set for Galway

First published on Studenty.me on 7 Jan 2012.




Hip-hop legend, Grandmaster Flash is set to play a gig in the Roisin Dubh on Saturday 28 January, which just so happens to be the birthday of yours truly!

DJ Grandmaster Flash and his group, the Furious Five, have been areound since the 70s, and are recognised in the music business as hip-hop's greatest innovators.

image: google images

Grandmaster Flash is probably one of the best-known and most iconic names in hip-hop. Along with the Furious Five, he helped develop the genre. In 2007, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are hip-hop personified, and contribute to the definition of what the genre is. Without Grandmaster Flash, there would be no hip-hop.

The group's most significant hit was The Message in 1982, featuring the well-known story of inner city violence and poverty. Grandmaster Flash, though credited on the records doesn't appear on The Message, Freedom or many other songs by the Furious Five. He provided the central element of the Furious Five's sound, and gave the group its name, but there wasn't much room for turntablism in the early singles.

Grandmaster Flash now owns his own clothing line, "G.Phyre", has released a memoir The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats, hosts weekly shows on Surius Satelite Radio, and even appears in the very populat videa game "DJ Hero".

A DJ Hero, he certainly is. Hip-hop is one an extremely popular music genre today, so next time we're busting our moves to the latest beats, let's remember that hip-hop would not exist without Grandmaster Flash.

To see Grandmaster Flash in the Grandmaster Flesh, come on down to the Roisin Dubh on Saturday 28 January. Doors open 9pm, tickets cost €18/€16.

7 Jan 2012

by Jessica Thompson

Dead Whale to be Left on Beach

First published on Studenty.me on 7 Jan 2012.

THE CORPSE of a large sperm whale is likely to be left on the beach of Omrey Island for another week, according to Galway County Council.

Sperm whales are among the largest mammals in the world, and the 43 foot long sperm whale in question is thought to have died at sea.

The whale, which has been on the beach at Omey Island near Claddaghduff in Connemara since last week has caused no concern to the environmental officials, who have not yet come to a decision on the disposal of the body.

Senior Executive Engineer Tony McInerney confirmed that no plans had been finalised for the removal of the body.

"To be honest, it's not causing an obstruction or anything so it's not at the top of our priority list," said Mr. McInerney, speaking to the Galway Independent this week. "There are a few options open to us for disposing of the remains, so we are looking at those and hope to make a decision later in the week."

The most likely options for the removal of the body of this 43 foot long sperm whale are a burial close to where he was beached so that it can decompose naturally. The other option is that he will be removed in three sections to High Island, further west.

The burial would mean heavy machinery will need to be used on Omey Island, and this could cost approximately €3,000 to €4,000. However, the removal of the corpse to High Island would cost significantly less, coming in at under €2,000. Alternatively, the bones of the sperm whale can be worth about €500 and harvesting the bones could mean lowering the cost of removing the body to High Island.

Naturally, a mammal as huge as this has attracted thousands of onlookers to Omey since it was beached last week, and hundreds more are expected before the body is removed.

The whale has also received some unwelcome visitors since it was beached last week. It has emerged that the whale's teeth have been removed at night while the beach was secluded.

7 Jan 2012

by Jessica Thompson