Des Bishop's life

Greetings from East London

Just getting ready to get the train to Birmingham. Figured it was as good a time as any to drop a line. The problem is that nothing that interesting has happened to me that is really good for writing. Had a lovely flight and a lovely evening with Linda and now she is at work and I am packing. Ain't the comedy life exciting. Well I won't bore you with the rest. I got a new phone which should help to get more low quality pictures onto the blog.

I hate doing gigs in the UK to be honest with you. I just hate all the waiting around in British cities that are all the same. They all have the same shops and all have the same pedestrianised streets. You go to Costa Coffee and read the Guardian. Then you go and buy a t shirt or something in TK Max just to pass the time. Sometimes you go to the cinema on your own and always forget to specify that you don't want sweet popcorn. Then you go back to your room and eat takeaway chinese and wait till its time to go to the gig and watch the other English hacks bang out the same shit they have been doing for years. Plus they have better gigs than me which makes it worse. But don't get me wrong I am not in a bad mood.

Positivity is just not interesting really.

Des

Hi Guys. In better form today. Had a great sleep and only one more complaint about my alleged laziness on Stage. I guess 3 complaints is not that bad. I would love to have weighed them against loads of praise but the weight would be about equal so I would rather just live in the Denial that Irish people find it easier to criticise than to praise.

Off to London in 2 hours and then to Birmingham on Thursday for the weekend. Have not done a gig in the UK since before Christmas so I have some work to do. I wonder what the British are going to think about Abrakebabra.

Really can't believe the Referendum is in 2 days. I would like to think of myself as a pretty clued in guy but I definitely have not recieved enough information. I am totally confused. I hate people talking about being like the rest of Europe. The same Party that says we are more like Boston than Brussels. I certainly am hoping for a no vote simply because it is an issue that seems to be being sold on one or two issues eg Pregnant Woman and the integrity of citizenship. However it appears to me to affect so much more than that.

I find it funny that the other issue that we are very different from Europe on is abortion. Reading the Irish Iimes today I see that we have a bye on any Euro votes on that issue. I know that is because we have so much care for the unborn child. But I will tell you right now the moment it is born I don't care if he is in Ireland or not once he is not Irish he can fuck off.

I can't wait to go home to New York where I can hang out with all my Irish American friends I grew up with. Unlike me they have never been to Ireland. Like me before I came to Ireland they have never heard of the 1916 rising and they think that Northen Ireland is in the middle of a civil war. There expression of Irishness is getting drunkon St. Patricks day and having some weird desire to support Notre Dame football team. I know 2 of them that have Irish Citizenship and all of them can. All of them will get it if they ever want to travel because its a better passport then the US. They might not even come to Ireland. They don't have to in order to get it. But who cares if they were not born here. Who cares if they hate the way Ireland reacted after September the 11th. There Grandparents were Irish and thats enough for me. Plus they could turn out to be good Goal Keepers and play for the Irish Team one day.

ON a lighter note here is a picture I found at irish beats from the Dilated Peoples gig. Its me MC ROb Kelly and DJ OC


Des

Well I am back in my room after a crazy weekend down in Kilkenny. I see that finally a bit of negative criticism has found its way onto the website after Kilkenny. it is amazing how one group of people can be so happy with what another group can be so disappointed with. You decide to be more subdued for one show and people say you are being Lazy. You go nuts on the Energy for another show and people tell you that you looked nervous. In the end I did 15 shows in Kikenny and all but one was sold out so I hope most people were happy. I just hate when people say I am not making an effort.

Am I all performance and no substance. My God could it be that without my over the top energy I am not entertaining. My God could it be that I am in fact a cabaret act. My worst fears seem to be coming true. i left the festival this morning thinking that I had the best festival if my career but the 2 gigs where I held back on the performance and went for a more deadpan approach recieved negative feedback. I am an empty shell painted with very bright water colours rolling down a bumpy hill in the pouring rain.

Such a sensitive head returning to such a openly public life.

I had a great time though I have to tell you. And the Good Night Cats was great fun. Normally I don't enjoy it that much but this year I really had a ball. Went to bed at 6:30 am this morning just to polish off a weekend of little sleep and much adrenaline. Had a great time doing the old party piece with the Band at the festival club as well.

Never took any pictures though as I just kept forgetting. I am sure some will surface though as i was in loads of pictures.

I guess the last thing to do is gloat about the Rest of the worlds victory. s captain I take great pride in our Victory. More than that though I take great interest in all the people who come as spectators and claim that some people take the game to seriously. I have no shame about taking it seriously as I notice that the crowd are silent when we score yet go nuts when the Irish score. I think that is great by the way but it don't seem like a bit of craic to me. you want the Irish to win you xenophobes. I have got news for you. The Irish take the game very seriously and many discussions were had after and I can assure you that they were not about how to make the match more fun. Before people came down to watch the match years ago The Irish always won and they held that fact up with great pride. The game has never been played for laughs. I think people should just accept the Irish lost and not blame things. They had the crowd, the referee, subs and experience on their side. I will give them all that but I will not give them excuses. I love it.

Des

Good night last night. Two lovely shows. The festival is in full swing now. Once again I could not sleep in and I am starting to get a little frustrated. I was up before 8 this morning and I did not get to bed till well after 2. I left early by the festivals standards from the party last night to recharge the batteries but I feel even more tired today. I don't think I am going to make it through.

I will start taking some pictures tonight so that we can have a good ole blog at the end of it all. I am off now to talk to Ray Darcyont the radio. I am on first because 'I don't drink so I will probably be up' as Ray told me last night was the reasoning. Talk later.

Des

Just a quick note to say that all is well down here in Kilkenny. had 2 lovely shows last night. Hung out with Demetri Martin and Jake Johanssen lst night and showed them the craic in langntons. Today Myself Louis CK and Jake went for a jog and most of the other un healthy comics were just staring at us. Just met Ray Darcy though and he commented on my healthy sheen so it must have been worth it. This is really just a name dropping entry but its all true and the whole thing can be overwhelming so it is a bit of a release to just get it out there. Talk to you later. Off to a gig.

Des
www.desbishop.com

Finally I have managed to get these pictures up. Hope you enjoy them. I will put up others from the trip but these are ones that are related to the friends I made while working in Abrakebabra.

Above is myself and Leo's mother in Alyssa's uncles house in Jinzhou outside Dalian in Northeast China. All three pictures are taken in the same house and all are taken 1 day after being really ill in hospital.

Leo and Alyssa. Alyssa cannot get a new Visa to come to Ireland after she was denied a renewal as a result of the Shamrock Language School scandal.

Me and all the Family including Leos Mother, Alyssa's aunt and uncle and her little cousin who I will find a picture of tomorrow as whe is the cutest thing ever.

LEO IS LOOKING FOR A DAY JOB IN DUBLIN IF ANYONE HEARS ANYTHING LET ME KNOW
des@desbishop.com

Once again I have woken up ridiculously early. This morning I have agreed to play squash though so I don't have the freedom to head off for a jog. In fact I have woken up on the wring side of the bed this morning as well as the wring side of the morning. Wanted to be well rested heading down to Kilkenny but this is a bad start.

I did The Last Word on Today FM yesterday evening and I was quite excited as it was always a show I have enjoyed since the Dunphy days. It was not that great an experience though as the topic was crap and there was no time. Still I got to plug the website so I think it was worth it.

I get frustrated on the Internet sometimes. I think I really need to learn html or something because I often want to put some stuff up just to pass the time but I am limited to using this blog or the Forum. I can send sutff to the designers I know but I am talking about the spontaneouss stuff that you think about at 2 in the morning when you have finally given up waiting to see if any booby shows are going to be on Sky one. Maybe when I am in Edinburgh I will get someone to train me in Web design as there is always time to kill during the day there.

Saw Bush talking at the Military graduation about the enemy and how we will defeat them. I am not going to get into Bush bashing but I genuinely wanted to know who the enemy was. As an American citizen I am curious to know who MY enemy is as I need to know who to look out for. I remember thinking we had defeated the enemy when we got rid of Sadaam. I recall that is what he said. Now we are still getting rid of the enemy. So is this like one of the horror movies where the spirit of the killer passes from one bady to the next. I think we have a serious problem here. This spirit seems to be multiplying as well as passing. The seems to be more enemies now then there ever was. TOO MANY ENEMIES NOT ENOUGH MICS

I really just can't stand looking at the man because I do not believe one word that comes out of his mouth. I do not believe he has the interest of any American in his mind accept for those around him. I watch these graduates and I can tell they are inspired by what he is saying and I wander how I could be so different to my fellow countrymen. I know they would think that I was weak or naive or a bleeding heart liberal. Well I would turn to them and say that I am none of those things you fucking robots. My heart is on fire and as a result it burns inside of me and the more I listen to George Bush the more it burns because he is killing people every day in the name of my protection. I feel less safe though then I ever did. I am hated when travelling the world and have to answer for his power intoxicated sins every day even though I hate the man. And you are going to kill for him in the name of making America safe. What makes me laugh most of all is that the world could not be any less safer than it was when he took office. Republicans will blame the democrats and 9/11 but its been over 3 years now and it just gets worse and worse.

I don't know why every one compares Iraq to Vietnam. The republicans pride themselves on showing all the military blunders of the clinton era. Lets just compare it to Somalia. City battles where Americans are dying every day it really does not look llke they are any better at this war thing. I can't remember in History when there was so much war after the war was over other than Civil wars. They always go on about the theatre of war so maybe this is just an encore as all the ceos of the Defence companies could not stop applauding. I would say all the Islamic Fundamentalists could not stop applauding either it seems to me they are loving it. Ordinary Europeans have nearly got fundamentalists views about America these days as a result of whats going on. I don't know if that is a good result of military action. They are not the military geniuses they thought they were really. I want to see Donald go out and fight and talk all his war talk on the Battlefield. Then I will believe in what they say when they fill up young niave teenagers with their rhetoric.

My message to my fellow Americans BUSH DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU. No politician does.

Can't get the clock right. Went to bed last night at 1:30 am and woke up fresh as a daisy at 5 am. Used it to my advantage though and have just returned from a good jog on Sandymount Strand. I am just out of the shower and I couldn't feel healthier sitting here in front of my computer. I am going to wait till I am really hungry and go into the Kitchen and have a lovely breakfast with some freshly brewed coffee (hard to come by in China), and then go on about my day. It looks like a lovely one. It certainly was at 6:45 emerging over the bridge at Ringsend and looking at the sun gently shining over the Dock. No traffic on the toll bridge, No construction at the Library, No shopping trolleys in the Dodder, it was as if I was back in the old Dublin before the boom when ringsend was still working class. The good old days back in 1995.

Its a great way to start the day I have to say. I am in good form anyway as yesterday I got a lovely surprise that I was shocked I ahd not heard about. One of my favourite Hip hop groups were in Dublin last night and there was still tickets. Dilated Peoples played Crawdaddy and it was a cracker of a gig. Such a small place and the joint was ROCKING. Best Hip Hop gig I was ever at. Got some pictures too as the boys from Irishbeats.com were there taking pictures so I am waiting for an e mail from them. Got to reunite with DJ Lee for those who know about those connections. (The hardcore fans.) Assuming most of you don't know about the tiny Irish hip hop scene I guess this next story won't mean much to you but I will tell you anyway as i got a real kick out of it.

This quite good Irish MC called Rob Kelly has been around on the scene for quite a while. I have heard things about him over the years and heard one or two things that I thought were good. In comparison to some of the stuff you hear here I thought it was great. Anyway he comes up to me last night and introduces himself to me and asks If I remember him. It turns out he was in St. Peters in Wexford and not only that but I used to give him hip hop tapes I brought back from the states. Rap was hardly heard of here at the time other than Public Enemy and a few others so it was a big deal for this kid at the time. I was delighted to see that someone from Wexford would follow what most have been a pretty obscure dream back in the Early 90s and had the selfish thought that maybe I helped a little bit.

Anyway today I am doing nothing. I am going to buy some crap for Kilkenny and drop off some film for Linda then I am coming back and doing nothing. If it gets cloudy I will go to the cinema and thats it. I guess it ain't the worst life after all. But I am grateful and I won't gloat.

Peace
Des
www.desbishop.com