It is a very lucky thing when you find a place that is truly your own; somewhere familiar, comfortable, fun and full of adventure & mischief. For a full on decade (gulp, old much!), the Pod was my spiritual home, guiding me through my teens and early 20′s, opening me up to every kind of music, meeting all kinds of everyone – some of whom have become my closest friends – and generally shaping the person I am today.
photo by the very talented Johnny McMillan before he was famous
I am deeply saddened by its sudden closure last weekend, without even so much as a massive blowout night. It marks the end of a massive chapter of my life. On a less selfish note, it marks the passing of a cluster of venues run by people who always stood by their musical ideals, who maintained integrity and quality of acts at all times. They brought really really really good music to Dublin. They also supported local talent, enabling local promoters, bands, producers and djs to put on some of the best nights Dublin has ever seen.
One small silver lining is that the Pod’s love child, Bodytonic, is still going strong, keeping Dublin awesome. And I have been assured by the powers that be that Pod will still be running gigs, just not in the Pod complex…And so, in a final personal tribute to possibly the most influential place I have ever spent time in, here is a small history of the Pod, according to me:
3 Tracks that defined the Pod
This track forever reminds me of POGO, run by Bodytonic, and Nic James, the lobby bar dj who was and still is one of my favourite djs of all time ever. And he’s a real nice lad to boot. Also, this track is a bitch to find, it’s all white label and jazz, hence the lack o song :/ Although I do have the vinyl. Even if it’s not much use to you, and really it’s just a bit of a brag.
2) The Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now
This track reminds me of my friend Carol, who brought me to one of the first ever Antics, where I ended up djing and messing for several years. It was, literally, one of the funnest times of my life, and it’s weird still meeting people now for whom Antics was their first club experience and how it has in some ways shaped them.
3) The Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
At the start of the electro craze I used to play the Jacques le Cont version, mixed with Soulwax’s NY Excuse. They go real well together. People used to go ape, and that is one of the best feelings in the world and is the reason I love djing.
4 Outfits that define the POD. Without pictures, for soon to be very obvious reasons
1) Grey low waisted skinny jeans, u neck tank top, massive elasticated waist belt, long slim knit cardi, teamed with slouchy boots.
This look was so 2007. I wore it religiously to nights like Backlash, which was briefly in the Pod, to Antics, to every gig I ever went to at that time. It was cool, relaxed, and handy for blending into the going to work brigade if you ended up at a party til all hours, which invariably is what we did every night. It’s actually funny how there used to be a stage that I decided what to wear out on the basis of what looked least ridiculous the next day on the rollover…Ah those were the days!
2) Denim skirt (usually homemade), 3/4 tights, bright gaudy tshirt, pumps
Denim skirts pretty much define Antics for me. It was the age of the indie cindy. What more can I say.
3) Day glo jeans, oversize Bonde do Role tshirt, bright yellow massive vintage embroidered jumper, converse
When Nu Rave kicked in, I jumped on board and took to wearing RAINBOW as my colour story. That Bonde do Role is one of my most favourite tshirts of all time ever – bought at a gig they played in Crawdaddy.
4) Disco Pants, oversize tshirt, pumps
Over the years, disco pants have become something of my dj uniform – they are comfy, but shiny enough to be a bit fancy and the baggy tshirt thing is probably a learned behaviour from all the boys that I dj with (two of my favourites pictured above – but shhhh don’t tell them it’l go to their heads)!
me, circa 2008ish. the STYLE.
10 Best Gigs
This is really difficult because I have been to SO MANY and I almost forget what I have seen!
1) LCD Soundsystem, Tripod – twice
2) Jurassic 5, Redbox
3) Switch, POD – this was literally one of the most mental nights of my life
4) Bonde do Role, Crawdaddy
5) Booka Shade, Tripod
6) The Kills, Tripod
7) Lykke Li, Tripod
8) Rahzel, Redbox
9) Chromeo, Tripod
10) Little Man Tate, Crawdaddy
3 Reasons it’s going to be FINE
1) Bodytonic
2) Emergence – another gang of good lads who cut their teeth in the pod
3) Stenaline – rail & sail from like 30blips. just sayin’.*
Oh, and Whitney died last weekend too. That was sad. May they both rest in peace.
*lol jk Dublin you’re deadly really.
