The Purty (Kitchen) Sessions

It was an exceptionally heavy weekend - going away drinks for Francisco (world trip) on Friday, going away drinks for my cousin Barry (Oz) on Saturday), and a Nigel place gig on Sunday. The common thread was The Purty Kitchen, the city centre branch on Friday and Saturday, out near Dun Laoighaire on Sunday.

Of course, things weren't that simple. Leaving work around 4.00 on Friday, we headed into the Czech Inn first for some Czech beer. An old, unintelligible geezer (Irish) tried to get into conversation with our motley crew, but we were in no mood to humour him. He sat down at a table opposite a sleeping girl and proceeded to do strange trips with his beer, pouring it from one glass into a mayonnaise dish into another glass and back again. Initially it looked like he was perfecting his rohypnol approach (obviously successful on the sleeping girl), but if this was the case he wasn't shy about sampling his wares. We left for cheap pints in the Purty Kitchen.

Later it was down to the Westin on Westmoreland Street. We had been warned it was up it's own behind most nights, but on Friday Salsa reigned. On the way down i bumped into an old Film Studies buddy. I was pretty far gone at that point, so I hope she was too. Anyhow the positive rumours about the Westin were true. Although the very agile women looked Latin, a little conversation proved them to be more Eastern (with tans). Fine, by me, though the inebriation got profoundly worse. So much so in fact that by 12.20 I went home.

The next night was again in The Purty Kitchen, though upstairs this time. I ate more fish fingers and tartar sauce than is realistically healthy, but I was a little better behaved.

After treating my body like a pickled onion for two nights (and days), I stayed on rock shandies on Sunday. The venue was once again The Purty Kitchen, though this time the one on the Coast Road on the way to Dun Laoighaire. Bubbly Stace Gill hosts a regular free(!) gig every Sunday, with four accomplished acts sharing the two hours or so running time. Every act had a Myspace space, including Stace, a sign of the musical times, so should you be interested the acts were as follows:

• Nigel Place


• West of Eden


• Ciaran O'Sullivan


• Andrew Mann


• Stace Gill

It made a relaxing end to a strong end of week.