Siltation: A Forthcoming Novel by Darren Lynch

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I admit the character I had in mind was different from the book cover that is part of the promo prior to the book release which is November 10. I am talking about the story called Siltation by Irish musician/writer Darren Lynch.  Somehow I see Bamm Bamm as a little bit on the round side-not heavy but somehow mesomorphic with few traces of fat.  More like Liam Cunningham when he was in his early 30s.

The main character is Bamm Bamm Doyle whose real name is Joseph Anthony Doyle.

I was christened Joseph Anthony Doyle, but as a
child, the mother used to call me ‘Bamm-Bamm’, after
the character in the Flintstones cartoon, I think. Think it
might have been Barney Rubble’s kid, or a pet dinosaur
in it. It was just as a bit of a nickname and a slag, but it
soon stuck, and friends and neighbours knew me as
Bamm-Bamm Doyle.

Bamm Damm is a Dubliner who is suffering from bouts of depression and alcoholism. He often gets into trouble with the neighbors but he strikes me as someone you can get along with if you don’t rub him the wrong side-and as long as he gets his daily dose of drink. He carries a tin whistle and enjoys the craic and good old Irish music. He also keeps a poster of Bobby Sands on his bedroom wall.

What’s really interesting bout Siltation is that Darren Lynch has painted an accurate representation of a life on the edge of the cracks. The perfect candidate of that part of the society that’s marginalized by poverty and mental sickness. “I wanted to show a certain type of person in society that people chose not to see, but lives under the radar.. ” The Man You don’t Meet Every Day was  the initial title according to the author.

I didn’t know what to expect from the kind of language the book has, upon the first few pages. It is spoken through the mind of the character-the first person storytelling. There’s a lot of local expressions. Two pages and I am engaged. This is very Irish. The cadence of the prose sounds like music when you read it aloud but that’s just in my opinion. People read book for the story I guess. Me for both:story and style of writing.

I learned new slangs along the way like for example:gaff:house and looper:crazy.

It has raises a lot of powerful feelings to those who read it. I feel it is timely, with all the things going on over there…the tanking economy..the wounded pride of the Irish. Read up to the end and if it doesn’t make you feel something then you are an android logo.

If you check out the right side of this blog you see there the advert and the release date which is November 10. Please like the fb page of Siltation and let us help Irish writers get their works out there. Yes by the Irish and for the Irish.

Siltation by Darren Lynch

Shamus and Steve Continue to Bring Celtic Humor For Everyone!

Steven Hawson: Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow, Vol. 2

With laughter comes inspiration. This is the essence of Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow Vol. 2

Life is hard. I’ve been reflecting on that for the past few weeks now that reality has started to sink in. Three things continue to save me: Humor, curiosity and sweetness from friends who never fail to see the good in me. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I put humor above all. That capacity to laugh at ourselves and others clear the air of disagreements and awkwardness.

I’ve been visited upon by the funny muse when I started following the Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow series by musician and linguist Steven Hawson. The more I listen to his series, the more I realize the depth of creativity that he has put in these recordings. I see them as part documentary, part comedy adventure. It is also a love letter to the lovers of the Celtic culture. It recognizes the three things about people like us:

The love and appreciation of all things Celtic

The love for diversity and respect of other cultures

The celebration of learning history and its importance to the present.

Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow, Vol. 2 is an exciting follow-up to Volume 1. It is also longer with more characters and punch lines that will tickle your inner clown. I admire Steven Hawson’s ability to create many colorful characters and events with convincing candor. Think of this as a combination of On the Road/Even Cowgirls Get The Blues/Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle but with a Celtic treatment.

There are 13 tracks representing 13 chapters of a novel.

In Vol.1, we were left with Shamus and Steve stopping for a night halfway through their trip. Remember, this story is about the twins going on the road to see the first annual Glasgow Celtic music festival in Montana. The album opens with Steve waking  up to discover a spider bite on his left cheek.

Steve: You mean I’m going to have a swollen face at the festival?!

Shamus: Well, only on the left side. You’ll just …have to put your best face forward I guess(snicker).

You see, the hapless optimism of Shamus always gets Steve(or both of them ) into trouble. They meet a handful of colorful characters along to way: The Hari Krishna Cowboys in Cheyenne.The Turkish carpet store owner who explains the relationship between the Celts and Anatolia. There’s also an exciting police car chase which makes Steve throw his accordion out the window.  There is also a hilarious encounter with a fake Druid (who talks like Yoda). There are many interesting encounters that you will enjoy as you listen along but it is for you to find out. I don’t want to spoil the fun.

Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow Vol.2 establishes Steven Hawson as an excellent story-teller with a comedic spirit. This is really a must for those who want to take a Celtic history shortcut. As for me, it’s a cure for sadness. Laughter is the best medicine courtesy of my two heroes Shamus and Steve!

Sample and download the track here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevenhawson

About the artist:

Steven Hawson has been described as the “Weird Al Yankovic” of Celtic music. Now, with Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow, the Albuquerque-based musical gagman has taken his deft (and daft) talents where no Celtic laddie has gone before! A multi-faceted musician and gifted voice actor, Hawson breaks new creative ground in this two-volume comic misadventure with an array of off-beat characters, “Monty Pythonesque” sketches, unorthodox settings of Irish and Scottish melodies, and an intricate story line replete with egg-headed non-sequiturs and side-splitting banter. Destined to become an instant classic, Shamus and Steve’s Crazy Celtic Journey to Glasgow is a must have for everyone who enjoys the Celtic genre…and a good clean laugh.

Here’s a video os Steve Hawson (banjo) by the way when not doing comedy, Harlow Pinson plays the fiddle.:

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Huzzah!

More exciting things going on in the Celtic music scene and here they are:

Click the link to this video called Killiecrankie by The Picts (As The Court of Equity) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3Kp590Ovsw

The Court of Equity is the acoustic alter-ego of Scottish folk rockers The Picts. The song Killiecrankie is the first track on their album ‘Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect’ The Songs and Poems of Robert Burns, Volume 1.

For more information about The Picts / The Court of Equity visit
http://www.picts.co.uk

Or Join The Picts on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thepicts?fre…

The Video was Directed by Greg Frielhttp://www.frielancemusic.co.uk