Macrolog Personal

Anxious Mofo

I’m not happy going to gigs on my own. I stick out like a sore thumb. Billy No-Mates. And I never enjoy myself as much as I would if I could share the experience with others. It’s a bit different when I’m not in Dublin; then again, I do tend to come out of my shell more when I’m away from home. I especially dislike going to gigs at Whelan’s by myself. Not only is it a long trek from my usual stomping grounds, but they never open the doors when you expect them too. Not so much a hassle when I’m with a friend, but alone this causes the sore thumb factor to increase exponentially. I mention this tonight because I have a ticket to the Radio 4 show tonight. I’m not particularly bothered about them but their supporting act, Out Hud, are worth seeing. The thing is, however, are they worth seeing alone, when I won’t really enjoy them? I skipped Hank Rollins’ spoken word show last week for the same reason. Or maybe the nervous feeling in my gut has nothing to do with this at all. Maybe I’m getting stressed over my post-grad application, which will finally be in the mail tomorrow. I’ve spent the last two weeks planning what to write on the application form and putting together a portfolio of my best writing, including stuff I’ve had published over the last few years. And it’s good. But I’m worried that it’s not good enough. I’m such an anxious mofo.

Tue 15 Apr 2003 at 19:03 ·

Comments (10 responses so far)

Open

Posted by
eoin
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 19:13

yes, you are. it’s your own fault anyway. why don’t you just sell out and have more conventional musical tastes - maybe some picturehouse, followed by aslan

Posted by
Mac
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 19:55

You know I can’t sell out. That would be tantamount to selling my soul.
By the way, I see that ‘Mothership Connection’ has been remastered and rereleased recently; Pitchfork reviewed it last week. I must get myself a copy. You have good taste, sometimes.

Posted by
Griet
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 20:25

if you ever go to the pets, count me in! :)

shit the application thing sounds scary.. is it for a master’s in philosophy or journalism or…? Damn. Me, i’ve only just written my CV…

Posted by
Mac
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 21:06

Journalism. I don’t know why I’m so worried about it - the selection process could be little more than a lottery, so it’s totally out of my hands - but I am.

I have to rewrite my CV this week too. I need a job. Need money to visit Bee.

Posted by
eoin
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 21:45

perhaps i didn’t make the deadpan -ness sufficiently clear, although one would think that the very mention of picturehouse would have been enough. mothership connection is indeed great, what do you mean sometimes…can i have some examples of the dodgy aspect of my musical tastes?it’s not that i’m angry mac, just a little disappointed :p

Posted by
Mac
Tue 15 Apr 2003
at 22:39

Oh no, I got the deadpanness. And it’s not that your taste is dodgy, per se. It’s just I don’t really like a lot of stuff that you like. I’m not a big Led Zep or Hendrix fan, for example.

Posted by
eoin
Wed 16 Apr 2003
at 12:02

..so then it’s agreed, we’re going to a picturehouse gig for your birthday. my treat.

Posted by
Mac
Wed 16 Apr 2003
at 18:06

You are an evil, evil man, Eoin. Evil and sick.

Posted by
eoin
Wed 16 Apr 2003
at 18:20

correction. sick and evil

Posted by
Griet
Thu 17 Apr 2003
at 14:23

why doesn’t eoin go to a pet shop boys concert?

About

Portrait of MacDara This is the personal website of MacDara Conroy, a production journalist, music writer and mediavore in Dublin, Ireland. Read more »

Details

You are reading Anxious Mofo, a Macrolog entry by MacDara Conroy. It is filed under Personal, and was published in April 2003.

Context

This day in history: 15 April

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↑ Wed 16 Apr 2003 at 18:09
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↓ Sat 12 Apr 2003 at 20:42

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