November 10, 2004 Out of Alba Rocks Again By ALEX DEEvy STAFF WRITER Out of Alba has put to use quite a variety of instru- ments, including some which are uniquely Celtic. A Ceilidh (pronounced “Kay- lay”, emphasis on 1st syllable) is many things. It derives from the Gaelic word meaning ‘a visit’ and originally meant just that (and still does in Gaelic). It can also mean a house party, a con- cert or more usually an.evening of Scottish traditional dancing to informal music. And if anyone in PG knows how to put on a Ceilidh it’s the members of Out of Alba, proba- bly our most well known Celtic folk group. Out of Alba’s most recent per- formance took place the night of the 30th in the Art Space, above Books and Company. The five- member band plays almost entirely Celtic music, but at this show they closed off with an unexpected blue grass song that left a good after taste combined with the Guinness being served. For two entertaining hours, Out of Alba serenaded the audi- ence with a mix of independent tunes from their debut CD “Stepping Out” and assorted other pieces from well known Celtic artists and poets. Some of their work had historical back- ground recounting life or chap- “ters of the past from the British Isles. No Ceilidh would be com- plete without some Robbie Burns, as Out of Alba reinforced this notion by playing their per- sonal rendition of Auld Lang Syne (the new years song you were too drunk to remember singing). Out of Alba has put to use quite a variety of instruments, including some which are uniquely Celtic. These ranged from the quintessential acoustic guitar to pan pipes, mandolin, fiddles, and my _ personal favourite - a hand held Irish drum called a Bodhran (pron: boran) played masterfully by Allan O'Reilly. With their unquestioned tal- ent, Out of Alba can inspire an audience to clap hands and bang heels along with them through every raucous tune, and lament for every sad one. The band is a good spirited bunch that can keep everyone interested with a jovial collective sense of humour and an undeniable on stage chemistry. Culture Shock: Stopping the presses for sub cultures By TRAvIs NIELSON DISTRIBUTION MANAGER The smell of the newsroom, the complaints of the public, and the orders of editors; this is what student newspaper reporters thrive on. It only makes sense that I would give a glimpse into the life of the student newspaper, I mean, I do work for one. The people that work at these grand media organizations are devoted to pushing the enve- lope and teaching the lessons that.can only be learned through actual practical experience. Student reporters also enjoy the camaraderie of fellow reporters; the good looking and under- standing editors help make the job easier too. Let it be known though, that this life is not all fun and games. The things that people are trying to write to make a difference in their university, or maybe for fun, come with a price. It always seems like someone has a problem with what you write and this leads to serious and sometimes detrimental problems not only to the reporters, but also to the editors and the newspaper itself. There are also important issues of advertising, designing, produc- ing, and distributing which are enough work without people trying to sink the paper every With all of its faults and benefits, the student news- paper is just another media resource for the students of the university to learn the skills needed in journalism. chance they get. With all of its faults and bene- fits, the student newspaper is just another media resource for the students of the university to learn the skills needed in jour- nalism, and at the same time make lasting friends and net- works to help establish them- selves in the world of journalism once they graduate and are look- ing for a job - making the transi- tion from school to the work- place just a little bit easier. It is also a great place to get involved if you want to make a difference in your university, because it always seems to be a hotbed of controversy. So go out and change the world, one paper at a time! Arts 9 ~Two Georges Woo Prince George PHOTO BY EARSON GIBSON From the left: Rob Budde hosting ‘The Two Georges’, Simon Thompson, George Stanley and Canada’s Poet Laureate George Bowering in a photo called ‘Look at me like I’m your Mother.’ BY EARSON GIBSON Copy Epiror On Thursday the 28th, Prince George was honoured by a visit from two of Canada’s most revered and beloved poets, George Stanley and the Poet Laureate George Bowering. They read to a small but dedicated crowd in ArtSpace after an opening reading by Simon Thompson, a teacher at Northwest Community College in Terrace who is touring the country with them. If you passed Thompson on the street you'd think he was a doctor or lawyer from the way he dresses and presents himself. He is the most clean-cut poet I’ve ever met, almost to the point of being suspi- cious. It didn’t help that he read some of his poems in such an uncertain way that I started to think the real Thompson was tied up in somebody’s trunk out front and the guy on the stage was an imposter. Not to say his poems weren't good, he just didn’t seem to fit comfortably in his own skin. Despite being the newbie com- pared to the two Georges with regards to both age and career, Thompson was the most talked about afterwards for reading a poem where the speaker comes across a native man watching two native people having sex in a ditch on an empty lot. Some people thought he wasn’t being culturally sensitive, others thought he was describing a rape scene, and I just thought it was weird. George Stanley took the middle spot and read some poems that were so mind blowing I can’t remember any specific details about them. It was like starring at the stars for twenty minutes. Stanley is a quiet person, but when his mouth is closed his eyes are wide open and watching every- thing. It was an incredible honour to hear him read because he is one of few Canadian poets whose work is going to far outlast his life, ‘work the crowd; and produces and with any luck his life will be very long. George Bowering closed the night with a delightful reading that was both thought provoking and frequently hilarious. Bowering is a charming character who has an amazing ability to to piss on,the Parliament lawn. His poems are personable and easy to listen to, and he uses a lot of refreshing conversational lan- guage and isn’t elitist at all. His poem “For Prince George” was well received for obvious reasons, and a rhythmic poem “In the Library” found huge appeal in the audience. All in all, this reading was prob- ably the most important literary event in Prince George for the whole year. Believe it or not, Prince George actually has a lot of distin- guished writers moving through and éven living here, so keep an ear out for this kind of event because it is well worth it for aspir- ing writers and fans of poetry alike. more books than almost anyone else in the Canadian literary canon. Right now he has more than sixty books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction in print. He is a huge baseball fan and joked about not having anything left to hope for now that the Red Sox have won he World Series, then put the crowd in stitches telling us that one of the first things he did as poet laureate was OPENING NOVEMBER 2004 Santhi's Orban Boulique Coe Fall ‘Winter 04 Exclusive Limited Features Include: S.U.B.CO. -UK URBAN CLASSIC - Kangol 504 caps - From Missy Elliot to Samuel L, Jackson, we proudly say Bou-Ya! Be yaa playa’ or livin’ the life of a Western Samurai, Kangol's got it. -HOUSE OF SPY!!! 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