Ahh… where to begin. Another day, the fight for another Euro, the mood-lowering rain, long stays in traffic on a run that normally takes two minutes… it must be Monday.

Ross (left) and Daw (right) for Ross’ birthday in iD on Saturday night
Ross (L) and Daw (R) ‘raise the sign’ on Saturday.

Of course, you can’t hit Monday without first passing through Saturday and Sunday and we passed through Saturday in style for Ross’ birthday. The poor chap turns 26 today - Happy Birthday dude - but there were more drinks than birthday greetings on offer on Saturday night as the KKM crew and some of the hardcore bunch of friends and site members represented for Mr. Costigan in iD on Saturday, the home of the One Take Sessions.

I’ll be honest, its been a while since I’ve been down to the pub. Between BBQs, gigs, weekends away in Sligo, weekends away in other countries or just flat out being wrecked, its been a while since I’ve gone out for the pure enjoyment of going out. Kicking things off with a BBQ and a few beers we made our way to the pub for ten or so where the session was well underway. I learned my lesson from the KKM birthday last year (September 19th) that tequila is certainly more a friend of Ross than it is of mine so steering clear of anything that came in a glass three inches high or less, we enjoyed the few pints, jokes, roaring along to Blur’s ‘Park Life’ and anything else decent that came over the speakers.

Mickey (rear), Jimmy Trigger (front) with their D-X impressions
Boo (rear) and Jimmy Trigger (front)

Of course, if you were getting your picture taken for what became ‘Rossification 2007‘, everyone had to ‘raise the sign’, no matter what your musical preference or what country you were from - random strangers were hijacked for photographs, bouncers, bar staff and all the usual crowd - makes for some great. I’d had my fill (given an early Devious casting meeting on Sunday) so parted company about 12:30.

Sunday - meant for a day of rest, was far from it but getting out at 12:30 paid dividends - no hangovers, fresh as a daisy, important really as important decisions needed making - the Devious cast for Cannibal! The Musical.

I haven’t been involved in the casting process of a show before, this being my first stint as a director, though learning, adapting and developing along the way. That said, it took us (myself and Mr. Kevin Mooney, we’re a Devious directing team) about three hours to make the final decisions, made in the Coffee Club on Rose Inn Street, somewhere that’s become hallowed ground for us over the last couple of months - savage breakfast and tea served all day long. But cast we did and I think we’ve got a great lineup. Both myself and Ross will be involved on stage as well, Mr. Costigan playing the role of ‘Frank Miller’ while I’ll be singing about building snowmen as ‘Israel Swan’.

Flash forward after mammoth casting decisions and phone calls to bring a little extra happiness to a few people’s Sundays and we’ve landed at Monday. I’m sitting in the office on breakfast (consisting of luke-warm Super Valu sausage rolls and a cold bottle of RiverRock), Guggenheim Grotto on in the background, its pissing rain, traffic is fuckin’ miserable (took me twenty minutes to get to work, a trip that normally takes two minutes tops) and I’m flying solo in work with the lads away in London. We’re RossCasting tonight - he’s taken the liberty to rename the podcast tonight to a RossCast for his birthday - which should be joined by an Indian takeaway and a few cobras - recording around the usual time, seven or so tonight. Should also add that the podcast tonight is a One Take Sessions special so we’ll have tracks from Dave Johnston, Rob O’Connor, Ian Doyle and Tortured Artists Social Club.

And thats my Monday, weekend, whatever… time to get back to work! I’m sure there’ll be more to follow somewhere along the way….