Formed in 2010, The Barbiturates, a 4-piece band from Derry, Northern Ireland, have developed a unique sound that shifts with ease between sounds by The Cramps and Pink Floyd.
The Barbiturates are a 4-piece band based in Derry, Ireland. Formed in 2010 by producer Geoffrey Herbert Flynn (previously erroneously identified as Geoff Street), the band have chosen 'the tear people', 'finger-print flowers' and circled 'B's as their symbols. The colours they choose to be associated with are Red and Black, representing anarchy and truth.
Consisting of four friends who like to be known as Monkey Boi (Martin Allen), Guru Hans (Connor McClean), Patricia (Patrick Walker) and The Grateful Mistake (Geoffrey Herbert Flynn), The Barbiturates are generally referred to as a punk band, although their vast eclectic sound makes it difficult to pin them down to that specific genre.
Their repertoire switches easily between melothic, heavy, folky, glitchy and psychadelic grunge, with a twist of rock and glam, drizzled in blues. As Dave Frecknall, the entertainment, media & marketing manager at Lavery Ltd, Belfast's benchmark public house operators, put it so aptly in an e-mail to the guys:
'I think you guys are going to want to start booking your own gigs & headlining them with local supports. I'm not sure how your music is going to fit in playing as a support to some indie band singing about girls.
Feedback wise, I would say that you're onto something quite unique, I can't honestly remember a band from round these parts that would shift between the sound of the Cramps & Pink Floyd within a couple of songs.'
So how did it all begin? In and around the summer of 2009, Grateful started sowing the first seeds by talking about forming a band based on truth through music and lyrics, not through style and sound. These seeds sprouted further when he was joined in the winter of 2009 by rhythm guitarist Patrick Walker aka Patricia. The two guitarists started jamming regularly and looking for other members.
While 'Grateful' was studying music production at the Derry based Arts Centre, better known as The Nerve Centre, he also met lead guitarist Connor McClean aka Guru Hans. Sharing the same taste in music, the same ideals and the love for smoking pot, Connor and Geoff became bonded friends, and Connor joined him and Patrick to create the initial three piece band.
In January 2010, they met drummer Martin Allen aka Monkey Boi, who hails from Ashbourne, England, and moved to Derry from Cardiff after meeting his Irish girlfriend there. Martin met Geoff and Pat through the power of the herb and the love of music and truth. Since then, The Barbiturates, a self-managed band who record and produce in their studio H.Q. in Derry, and can be contacted via e-mail at thebarbiturates@yahoo.co.uk, have been extremely busy.
Describing themselves as a 'hard working, truth talking, music making machine on a mission to turn music and the arts on its head and create a new standard of self made music, riddled with truth, love and anger', The Barbiturates have completed their first EP, titled 'Get your Boots on' - which can be sampled at The Barbiturates at SoundCloud - and are currently working on a double EP/first album, 'Red and Black', which should be available soon.
In the meantime, the Barbiturates have also been added to the database of musicians for Derry's City of Culture 2013 event. Constantly working on their music and busy organising gigs, The Barbiturates still make time to keep their fans informed via Facebook and Twitter, where they frequently sign off with their motto: 'MAKE WAR ON LOVE (We're all born dead)’.
Great Tips for Phone Interviews
Phone interviews are a different ball game to face-to-face interviews. Mainly because any silence is awkward and you cannot read the interviewer’s facial expression or reactions (nor can they yours), as well as more minor facets such as not being able to mention a shared common interest that they display in their office, such as a favourite football team or holiday destination.
Top Words and Phrases You Should Not Use in a Cover Letter
A cover letter is your introduction to recruiters, and as such needs to be perfect so that you make a good impression. The words and phrases that you use make a big difference in how you are perceived, so it is important to use the right ones. It is also important to remember that the recruiter will be reading it in his own voice and you do not have the benefit of expression. Here is our run-down of the top words and phrases to avoid in a cover letter.
Cotton and Textile Fair showcases Uzbekistan Investment Opportunities
On the 17th October 2012 at the Uzexpocentre in Tashkent, the eighth International Uzbek Cotton and Textile Fair began. National and international companies involved in the cotton business arrived for the two-day fair. Participants at the event have had the opportunity to sign contracts for Uzbek cotton and sample many different Uzbek cotton products such as cotton yarn, knitted items and silk garments.
