Backround flyer to Anti-War Fundraiser Sat 19 March

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday March 28, 2005 00:04 by Niall - Gluaiseacht

The Gluaiseacht Tree

These words compiled and presented by Mark in flyer form on the night of the gig. Read on to get a lovely glimpse into the mind of a certain flower bee and be encouraged to press on in the pursuit of the ultimate prize..... love.

Flower bee, March 2005, by mark, the mega-semi active glu-boy.

Oh, Hi everybody!

Welcome to our night of peace and gayheterolove. Thanks a million to Hatch 77, We should be dead, Celestial and the IFSRA for playin for free tonight. Thanks to the stool 4 keepin it real. Thanks to UL enviro soc and everyone who helped promote the gig. It is a righteous thing to see the people come together.

So why are ye here?

Well first up, ye’re here to rock!

TONIGHT’S LINE UP

HATCH 77
When folks hear Hatch 77, invariably the bands they get compared to speak much of the quality of their music. It is the good stuff. The old stuff. People say The Wedding Present, Gang of 4, Spandeau Ballet. But yo, fuck that. This is HATCH 77. They have their own sound. And they have 2 bass players. Whazupwidat? Not since Ned’s Atomic Dustbin or Spinal Tap have we seen such carry on. But there is method to this rule breaking madness. Over the metronomic coldly classic drum style of Mr (insert name), Bassman 1 (Mr Flynn) gives it to you low, makin all the ladies like it, Howard Stern stylee (if ye’ve seen the flick, you know what I mean). Bassman 2 (Mr Mark) owns the melody perfectly underpinning guitar snarling, vocal skydiving of Kevin Tobin.
They have a great EP under their belts called ‘Barriers’ available for 5euro tonight. Get this. It is 20 odd minutes of greatness.
Then, soon, the Hatch and I are gonna kick it root down in the balls of iron lab, and cook up a fookin classic. Ladies and Gentlemen, Hatch 77.

By the way, me and Steve like swapping quotes from the flick Rob Roy, so here goes…
“Vext me not McGregor or I will have you dragged a while”
“Do you know how fine you are to me Mary McGregor? So fine.”
“But I love you Archie….
Bettie, love is but a dunghill and I am but a cock that climbs upon it to crow”

WE SHOULD BE DEAD
The brainchile of AMC website master and Limerick answer to Andy Warhol (except with black hair, and he doesn’t paint) Stevie P, the Dead are hard at work fashioning their set. The family tree pedigree of this unit is impressive. Gary Healy on bass, sired by the legendary Paul Healy (of The Groove) and uncled by local bass legend, Gary wears his axe real good.
Completing the line up are the 2 girl tag-team (formerly of Seraphim) Tara Nix (vocals) and ???? (guitar).
They make focused, pissed off, catchy world throttling enviro-friendly-garage rock.
Expect lots

CELESTIAL
Apart from having the same name as the first ISIS album, I know absolutely sod all about this band. And that’s cool. I’m looking forward to seeing them. But they came looking to play this gig, and were recommended by Kevin 77. Any friend of the hatch is friends with us. Welcome Celestial, what can you do us for?

THE IRISH FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATORY AUTHORITY
OK, it’s me and Nancy. And as soon as I was happy with this use-just-once-and-destroy band name, the dude from the freeform foundation told me we needed in our band Alex Burns, the independent observer from Stokes Kennedy Crowely. And he’s right of course. So if he’s here tonight, he’s it. We’ll make sure he observes the fuck out of everything. As for me and Nancy… I’m reluctantly working on solo shit after golf split up. I mean, the ideas are flowin, but what wud take 2 mins to jam with 3 real humans, takes a week to arrange when your on yer own. Fun.
Nancy’s writing stuff too. She used be in the Dahlings you know! We’ll talk each other into releasing something soon.
I’m gonna be touring with the 2 Czech bands Dete Desti and Kdyby Psi April 6 - 11. And if there’s time, I’ll record them too.

Also, another balls of iron CD is on the cards with tracks from all the new bands I’ve been recording… and on that note…(roll the military drums)

If I was convicted of a crime I didn’t commit, if I hid upside the Limerick stockade underground mojo, if you’re fucked if you know, and if you can find me, maybe you can hire…

Balls of iron studios

3 line ad
Markoconnorstudios at yahoo.ie
300 – 2 day session or 5 e per band member per hour.

So why else are we here?
GLUAISEACHT: What’s that again?
On the boat back from the Climate Change conference in the Hague in 2000, about 100 or so hippies, anarchists, socialists and ... other freaks, shook their hands aloft in concensus and agreed to continue what had started over that weekend.
There and then, on the waves of the sea, in international waters, on an environmentally friendlier form of transport, Gluaiseacht was born. Emerging from her fathers' and mothers' wombs, he wondered, confused but hopeful, scatched his balls and rubbed her tits, put on a Cure record, and got to work saving the planet. Yeah.

That was 5 years ago. Since then the Gluaiseacht kid done good:
Helping organise or partaking in the G8 demonstrations in Genoa, Fasslane Nuclear Submarine base, Sellafield, The Bet, Limerick Green Guide, SAC protection campaigns, Critical Mass, Car Free Days, Disco Disco, Ecotopia, and lots more.

But if you’re new to it, here’s a little explanation of what gluaiseacht is about.

Recently a few of us nature lovin sorts went walking around the woods of Glenstal with Brother Anthony ( legend gluaiseacht homey). It was great. My favourite part was seeing the native oak forest which has been standing there since the time of when Cu Chulainn pucked sliotars upside hounds gobs, and the fianna went legging around the place (without asking for your vote) and where elks thrived rather than standing skeletorotting in UL's library. Ancient oaks, untouched, leaning with age, covered in moss. If you’ve never been out, go check it out. They’re around 800 years old. Like seeing the past.

With respect, I'm borrowing one of their acorns, planting it back in 2000, and hey presto you have the baby gluaiseacht tree below.

1 + 2: The roots: Part of anthony's talk spoke about the creatures under the soil, how they too and fro (worms, protozoa, john, paul, ringo etc) and bring nutrients and information to the tree. So that's where gluaiseacht’s directors and officers are at. Working to make the gluaiseacht organism function well. Getting the nutrients (i.e. information from the web, funding from ethical sources etc) from the soil and getting it to where the tree needs it. Shit yeah.

3: The trunk: Standing 5 years, the trunk of the gluaiseacht is still growing, it needs to be flexible, but strong. It's bark is durable and can take any of the harsh weather or 4 more years axes thrown at it. Sham on, Gluaiseacht the tree.

4: The flower/fruit: Through nurturing our tree and nature kickin ass, sooner or later a flower will pop out. This flower will show the world our beauty, a positive effect we have on the surroundings e.g. the bet, critical mass, ceol, TONIGHT! This flower will then in turn attract...

5: The birds and the bees: Bees come pollenating all over the shop spreading the good buzz around. Similarly, birds (aka singers/spokespersons) can, being attracted to our beautiful tree, land on our tree and give us a song. It is spiritual. It is mother nature saying "you’re all right kid." It is further evidence to the world, the life force fingertips, animal and vegetable, touchin, passin the dutchie, and it is good. As a musician, I strongly wish to make the point that this bird doesn't just sing major scales all day, like fuckin westlife or 1 flew over the cuckoos nest 'medication time' FM. It sings, dimished 5ths, minor arpeggios, modal scales, aciaciaturas (spellin?), debussian chord clusters, and lots of other fucked up shit reflecting both the good and evil in this world, the ying and yang. The setting of the sun and the coming of a storm. With the weather in Ireland being by and large shite, the Irish birds have been given the task of cheering everyone up over the ages. That's why they are such good singers. That's why Gluaiseacht birdies sing the best songs. FUCK YEAH!

Further to Brother Anthony's chat, he told of us some birds who eat the seed of certain trees, or carry them away in their mouth to bury somewhere else. Upon forgetting where they buried them, new trees grow from old seeds. So even if you are a birdie who lands on the Gluaiseacht tree for a short while, be sure to take an acorn away and plant other babies elsewhere.

No. 5 should also include fag smokin squirrels, tattoo sporting wood lice, cool as fuck owls, sad horsies that come to scratch themselves on the trunk. All are welcome in and around the Gluaiseacht tree.

6: These strange dots at the base of the tree? Whatever could they be? Why of course! It's last years leaves, composting and fermenting away, snuggling down with the snow and rain of winter, making more fertile soil for the roots to give back to the tree. Every winter (or periodically) the branches of Gluaiseacht need to chill out, take time out to reflect. The leaves can be everyone feeding back into the collective, let everyone know how everyone else is doin. Is the sun shining equally on all parts of the tree? Is it windier over on the west side? The feedback fertilises the tree. The tree gets stronger. Aw YEAH!

7: Ah, number 7. Magic number 7. What is magic number 7? 7 is whatever the fuck you think it is. It is at the centre of the tree. It is what you make of it. Personally, I'd say it could be any of the following:

Number 7 explanation # 1 - The amazing transmoglifier button, which sends out a high frequency sound summoning winged creatures of all species swallows, herons, swans, bats, ... in utero angels, whereby they all come together and pick up the Gluaiseacht tree and fly off somewhere better reflecting the movements' versatility should the USA decide to invade Ireland to exploit Ireland's wind power reserves as the USA rages around the world like an out of control junkie desperate to keep its overconsuming fatarsed bloated economy afloat in the sea of shit it has created while simultaneously letting the oil run out/not dealing sufficiently with the concept of peak oil, and while we may only have used 1/2 the world's oil, the rest of it is harder to reach, process and is of lesser quality, pushing up the price at the pumps and revealing the naked coke snorting prankster behind the wizard's curtain who for all this time has been well clandestino to the poor dumb fox news gobbling yank electorate. Check mate.

Number 7 explanation # 2 - The fuck it button. The fuck it button has been responsible for many of mankinds progressions (and/or regressions). GWB certainly pushed the fuck it button when going into Iraq against the largest anti-war demonstrations in the world. His fuck it (aka 'fuck you all') was heard loud and clear. Punks press the fuck it button, doing art a large favour. Much of art is commercial bollox designed to keep the masses dull. Punk shocked folks back to life. The guy who dreamt of a snake eating its own tale and then discovered the benzene ring, I'm quite sure the fuck it button was pushed somewhere along the line. The fuck it button! Press it and see!

Number 7 explanation # 3 - X marks the spot. Anthony showed us a great pine tree which was struck by lightening. A vast crack split the trunk of the tree. They don't know whether the tree will survive. This could happen the gluaiseacht tree. Just as Prescott Bush (W's grandfather) helped the Nazis sneak their money from post war Germany, so might the religious right and the ‘We love freedom’ gang pump so much fucking fear into the world and each other that all life will go pear shaped. Humans are such a fickle species. I could say that the tree, and parts of the tree, should do what feels the best thing to do, and stick together. But shit happens. And 7 could be the x that marks the spot where shit, possibly bad shit, might happen.

Happy ending: All the planet wants to do is live and evolve. Capitalism has brought on the most ludicrous waste of resources the world will ever know. As we see Ireland covered in roads and houses and bullshit and ‘anywhere USA’ covering the globe, it's good to take heart that this way of life is coming to an end with the end of the age of oil, and will get its comeuppance in our life times. It will be unpleasant. The lack of debate on it now shows how the world is not prepared for it.

Though through their 'speed it up' inertia that Bertie is trying to build up, and they put a motorway through the valley of Tara, it must be remembered, man is just one species. Man is on course to fuck up, but nature will survive. Nature will survive. I have a dream brother and sisters (roll the MLK background music) that one day, when the oil runs out, when they cannot service the 1000s of miles of road and tarmac, that seeds of the meagre acorns of the oaks of old will land on these cracked up heroin veins of capitalism, and great oaks will spring forth anew (!!!) and the countryside will return to the days of the Fianna and the elk and the fairies and the music and song from whence our ancestors. Only this time, there around the campfire (of the carefully collected and recycled fallen branches and trees) will be ceol tradisiunta, along with argintinian tango, Balkan chant, Polish polkas, African conga drums, Cubano salsa and son (and ron and cigars), englishirishamericanczechiranianjapanesechilean PUNK, amenianscottishswedishgerman METAL, jamaicanfrenchicelandic REGGAE, italiankorean painting, indian yoga, iraqi storytelling etc etc etc.

You are the tree. Now gimme a fuckin HUG!

ANTI or PRO?
Anti this anti that. Protestor. These words have baggage. Like trying to get in the way of something.

That’s why this evening is the PRO-PEACE gig. But it’s also the Gluaiseacht for global justice fundraiser. Indeed, funds will also go towards EYFA. So it’s time to reco’nize EYFA.

As explained on the other leaflet going around tonight, EYFA and GLUAISEACHT are hooking up once again to organize the anti-war meeting in Kilfenora April 7-10. But last time they joined forces was for ECOTOPIA.

ECOTOPIA
Every year, a thing called Ecotopia happens. It is a 2 week long gathering where folk come together and live in an environmentally friendly way and have workshops, discussions and grooving on the hillside. It happens in a different European country every year.

2 years ago it happened in Ireland out near lough derg. It kicked ass. So how do you live in an environmentally friendly way? Let’s answer that by asking, how do you live:

Breathe – Every breath was clean river/lakeside fresh air given to us by the abundant trees in the area. Yey trees and clean air.

Food – All vegan. No animals and no need for the fridge. Mostly organic too, so that which we ate didn’t contain chemicals from fertilizers which can fuck you up. Cooking duties (and subsequent washing up) were shared between volunteers.

Water – Clear spring water. A water expert from the department of health came to sos out the water and said it was the cleanest water they ever tested.

Weewee n poopoo – Compost toilets. All our waste (digested from our less harmful organic food) went into the compost toilets, which when mixed with sawdust keeps it safe and helps it decompose compost stylee. The wee wee was sent to separate compost area, as poopoo composts better when not wet.

Shelter – All low impact dwellings were raised (and lowered after the event) with minimal impact on the woodlands. Teepees, yurts, tents, benders, and marquees all provided snug shelter. A wooden house was also built over the 2 weeks

Learn / communicate – Workshops were organized and held in a non-hierarchical manner, with everyone getting an opportunity to share ideas and network with others. Usually folks arranged themselves in a circle inside the many dwellings on site. Also, each morning we had the morning circle, where folk met and talked about all the days happenings. Gave a real sense of living in a community is like, rather than as rats in cages as we are in our daily lives.

This year, Ecotopia happens in Moldova, a country down near the Adriatic where the groovin enviro friendly stylee will by goin down.

Only this year, EYFA did not get the same funding from the EU as it has done in previous years. So fundraising is essential to making this year’s ecotopia a success.
HENCE TONIGHT! If you are in 2 minds of where to go on holidays this summer, think about Ecotopia. Info on how to get there will be up on the eyfa and gluaiseacht sites soon.

PEAK OIL – We’re all fucked!
This was referred to quite a bit above. How even though we’ve only used ½ the oil or whatever, the ½ that remains is crap and hard to process.
Oil. Crushed, pulverized compressed fossils. Took millions of years to make. All being used up in a relative blink of the universe’s eye by man, the fuckhead, from the early 18th to the early 21st century.

AND THE EXCITING BIT IS, IT’S GONNA RUN OUT/LOW IN OUR LIFETIMES!

For my 2 cents this, along with climate change, are the biggest deals man needs to sort.
Oil running out will mean:
No more CDs, toothbrushes, fertilizers, condoms, plastic bags, petrol, heating oil, Vaseline, film, TVs, kettles as we know it.

No more large scale industrial farming, no more car dependent culture (NOT SUSTAINABLE, eventually the real meaning of these words will be learned, the hard way), no more centralized Walmart mall bullshit. No more planes flying, no more Ryanair. No more free toys in our cornflakes. No more cornflakes. No more massive factories, no more lubricating oil for machines. No more need to invade Iraq.

OK, that’s a pessimistic look at it. Man will hopefully search for the solutions before it gets too bad. USA and most of western society has evolved into suburbia, which simply can’t be sustained in a post oil world. Yet we still develop housing in this way.

The green party sell themselves by saying we wont have to give up our luxuries to be green. This is optimistic at best, at worst it’s fishing for more votes. Democracy will fail man.

Boo racism, war, violence, freedom(bush stylee), capitalist bastards, hate.
Yay love, cooperation, freedom, no hierarchy, consensus, rock and roll.

Seriously folks, let the hippies take over. We know best!
Love, Mark.