28/12/2008
Two interview videos
Two interview videos with Roisin emerged online a while ago, one on swide.com and another on logoonline.com. Check them out!
Still here!
In case you were wondering what's happening to this blog, please rest assured! I've had a short break, but will return before the end of the year with a Roisin Murphy review for 2008. And what a year it has been...
In the meantime, I hope all ya devotees had as great a Christmas as me. Thanks for all your visits, even when I was offline!
In the meantime, I hope all ya devotees had as great a Christmas as me. Thanks for all your visits, even when I was offline!
17/12/2008
It's oh so quiet...
December is a quiet month in many ways, also on the Roisin Murphy front. To surprise you all, I thought I'd share these two lovely pictures with you...
Thanks to Betty!
Thanks to Betty!
12/12/2008
Martin Margiela store opening
Yesterday Roisin attended the opening of Maison Martin Margiela in London's Mayfair.
Thanks to Betty!
09/12/2008
Supermodel work!
From Vogue.com:Since becoming quite a fixture on the front rows of the spring/summer 2009 shows in September, former Moloko singer Roisin Murphy has continued to make waves on the fashion scene - and she's going to up the ante during February's couture season by actually taking to the catwalk.
The popstrel will add a little star power to the debut couture show of Alexandre Vauthier, from whom the industry is expecting big things; he is currently the creative director of French ready-to-wear label Lilith and has stints at Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier (where he spent eight years as chief designer within the couture department) under his belt.
According to WWD, Vauthier will fly to London next week for a fitting with Murphy ahead of the show on February 28 in Paris - which will mark the singer's inauguration into the modelling world.
05/12/2008
Yes, that hat!
RE previous post: I guess A. will like these two backstage pictures. Betty sent them to me a while ago.
04/12/2008
Rage starring Roisin - 2004
Another blast from the past, this time Roisin as guest host of the Australian music program Rage. The show was broadcast on March 7, 2004.
> Rage, part one
>Rage, part two
> Rage, part one
>Rage, part two
03/12/2008
Review time
Here are two great reviews of some of Roisin's most recent shows, giving the lady the credit she deserves.
The first one is from The Guardian, which gives the Brixton gig 4 out of 5 stars:
"It's a pleasure to entertain you," purrs Róisín Murphy, taking a quick breather between her pop-stamped disco, jazz-laced serenades and incessant costume changes. It is a brief but fitting aside for the ex-Moloko singer, because, like pop's other sparkling, shimmering gems Madonna and Kylie Minogue, Murphy's gigs are theatrical events.
A diaphanous curtain drawn across the stage illuminates long shadows of Murphy, her two backing singers and four-piece band, and acts as a screen on to which artful images are projected. Murphy variously sports sequin-covered masks, wears a large gingham-checked animal on her back and strides around the stage with two inflatable figures wrapped around her waist like a child's water ring. After all, the producer of Murphy's debut solo album, Ruby Blue, did sum her up as "a bit of a nutter". Her second album, Overpowered, has, however, cemented Murphy's position as Britain's most inventive and perhaps best-loved dance chanteuse.
The stuttering beats of Overpowered and the classy euphoria of You Know Me Better make for a heady start, but the paranoia-dappled Checking On Me suffers from Murphy's tendency to draw out her songs. With the wilfulness that has characterised her career, she curtails the mood with a diversion into the smoky sound of Tell Everybody and Moloko's I Want You. But Murphy's delicate croon is almost lost to the chatter of an audience here to shake their hips, not nod their heads.
Their intent is further interrupted by a five-minute interval. But when Murphy returns, she reignites the party, gliding from the glitter-coated stomp of Movie Star to the drooling lust of Primitives. She head-bangs wildly, pretends to beat up her two backing singers, and sings while lying in the outstretched arms of the crowd, having not just entertained but also impressed.
Picture courtesy of PaulJay. Check out his out his other amazing pictures of the show!
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The second review comes from cluas.com, which calls Roisin "Ireland's greatest female performer":
Roisin Murphy (live in The Olympia Theatre, Dublin)
Review Snapshot: Róisín Murphy is, without doubt, Ireland’s greatest female performer and seeing her live results in a full on assault on your eyes and ears. That Murphy pulls it off whilst barely stopping for a breath is a testament to how much effort is put into staging such a spectacular show.
The Cluas Verdict? 9.5 out of 10
Full Review: Quirky is one of those words that can be used as a compliment as often as it can be used to insult somebody. Roisin Murphy LiveIt’s certainly a word that could be used to describe British electronic artist Bishi, last night’s support act. Arriving on stage dressed as a cross between Princess Leia and Cleopatra and armed only with an i-Pod and a sitar, Bishi certainly knew how to make an entrance. Thankfully there was substance to go with the, ahem, style and her fusion of tango, folk, pop and electronica served to warm up an audience that was getting larger by the minute.
It was clear from the audience that Róisín Murphy has a huge following amongst Ireland’s gay community, who made up a sizeable portion of the crowd, surpassed only by groups of college students wearing far too many scraves for an indoor venue. Regardless of sexuality or attire, each and every member of the audience jumped to their feet when the opening chords of Overpowered burst into life.
If I was to say at this point that the first 3 songs of the evening where the opening three tracks from Overpowered (an album which you really must own) you might think to yourself ‘hmm, that’s a bit boring.’ You’d be wrong. What makes Murphy such a brilliant live performer is the quality of her band and their ability to completely restructure their songs and yet lose none of the ‘oomph’ (that’s a professional music term) that makes them so remarkable in the first place.
What makes the show a spectacle though is not just the music and the quality of her band. Murphy’s own ability to dance, change costumes, crowd surf and provide free hugs (important in times of recession) whilst never drifting out of key has to be seen/heard to be believed. Murphy is by no means a pop tart or showgirl; she has a voice that can convey pain as easily as joy and a range many of her peers can only dream of.
The biggest cheers of the evening were reserved for Movie Star, Dear Miami and a stunning cover of the Brian Ferry track, Slave to Love. By the end of the night they were literally dancing in the aisles, some with more success than others. All told, Murphy and her band were on stage for over 100 minutes, giving excellent value for money and ensuring that every member of the audience went home happy. Well, everyone except the girl in front of me who spent the entire evening debating with her friend as to whether or not she should ‘go with a fringe or not?’ My verdict would be yes.
My verdict on the gig, however, is that Róisín Murphy is one crossover hit away from becoming even bigger than she ever was with Moloko. That many of my peers refuse to give her a chance for that very reason is a shame. On record, Murphy has the ability to merge a variety of influences without ever losing focus. Live, Murphy and her band display a level of musicianship above and beyond expectation. The performance that goes with it is an added bonus.
By Steven O'Rourke
The first one is from The Guardian, which gives the Brixton gig 4 out of 5 stars:
"It's a pleasure to entertain you," purrs Róisín Murphy, taking a quick breather between her pop-stamped disco, jazz-laced serenades and incessant costume changes. It is a brief but fitting aside for the ex-Moloko singer, because, like pop's other sparkling, shimmering gems Madonna and Kylie Minogue, Murphy's gigs are theatrical events.A diaphanous curtain drawn across the stage illuminates long shadows of Murphy, her two backing singers and four-piece band, and acts as a screen on to which artful images are projected. Murphy variously sports sequin-covered masks, wears a large gingham-checked animal on her back and strides around the stage with two inflatable figures wrapped around her waist like a child's water ring. After all, the producer of Murphy's debut solo album, Ruby Blue, did sum her up as "a bit of a nutter". Her second album, Overpowered, has, however, cemented Murphy's position as Britain's most inventive and perhaps best-loved dance chanteuse.
The stuttering beats of Overpowered and the classy euphoria of You Know Me Better make for a heady start, but the paranoia-dappled Checking On Me suffers from Murphy's tendency to draw out her songs. With the wilfulness that has characterised her career, she curtails the mood with a diversion into the smoky sound of Tell Everybody and Moloko's I Want You. But Murphy's delicate croon is almost lost to the chatter of an audience here to shake their hips, not nod their heads.
Their intent is further interrupted by a five-minute interval. But when Murphy returns, she reignites the party, gliding from the glitter-coated stomp of Movie Star to the drooling lust of Primitives. She head-bangs wildly, pretends to beat up her two backing singers, and sings while lying in the outstretched arms of the crowd, having not just entertained but also impressed.
Picture courtesy of PaulJay. Check out his out his other amazing pictures of the show!
--------------------------------------------------------
The second review comes from cluas.com, which calls Roisin "Ireland's greatest female performer":
Roisin Murphy (live in The Olympia Theatre, Dublin)
Review Snapshot: Róisín Murphy is, without doubt, Ireland’s greatest female performer and seeing her live results in a full on assault on your eyes and ears. That Murphy pulls it off whilst barely stopping for a breath is a testament to how much effort is put into staging such a spectacular show.
The Cluas Verdict? 9.5 out of 10
Full Review: Quirky is one of those words that can be used as a compliment as often as it can be used to insult somebody. Roisin Murphy LiveIt’s certainly a word that could be used to describe British electronic artist Bishi, last night’s support act. Arriving on stage dressed as a cross between Princess Leia and Cleopatra and armed only with an i-Pod and a sitar, Bishi certainly knew how to make an entrance. Thankfully there was substance to go with the, ahem, style and her fusion of tango, folk, pop and electronica served to warm up an audience that was getting larger by the minute.
It was clear from the audience that Róisín Murphy has a huge following amongst Ireland’s gay community, who made up a sizeable portion of the crowd, surpassed only by groups of college students wearing far too many scraves for an indoor venue. Regardless of sexuality or attire, each and every member of the audience jumped to their feet when the opening chords of Overpowered burst into life.
If I was to say at this point that the first 3 songs of the evening where the opening three tracks from Overpowered (an album which you really must own) you might think to yourself ‘hmm, that’s a bit boring.’ You’d be wrong. What makes Murphy such a brilliant live performer is the quality of her band and their ability to completely restructure their songs and yet lose none of the ‘oomph’ (that’s a professional music term) that makes them so remarkable in the first place.
What makes the show a spectacle though is not just the music and the quality of her band. Murphy’s own ability to dance, change costumes, crowd surf and provide free hugs (important in times of recession) whilst never drifting out of key has to be seen/heard to be believed. Murphy is by no means a pop tart or showgirl; she has a voice that can convey pain as easily as joy and a range many of her peers can only dream of.
The biggest cheers of the evening were reserved for Movie Star, Dear Miami and a stunning cover of the Brian Ferry track, Slave to Love. By the end of the night they were literally dancing in the aisles, some with more success than others. All told, Murphy and her band were on stage for over 100 minutes, giving excellent value for money and ensuring that every member of the audience went home happy. Well, everyone except the girl in front of me who spent the entire evening debating with her friend as to whether or not she should ‘go with a fringe or not?’ My verdict would be yes.
My verdict on the gig, however, is that Róisín Murphy is one crossover hit away from becoming even bigger than she ever was with Moloko. That many of my peers refuse to give her a chance for that very reason is a shame. On record, Murphy has the ability to merge a variety of influences without ever losing focus. Live, Murphy and her band display a level of musicianship above and beyond expectation. The performance that goes with it is an added bonus.
By Steven O'Rourke
02/12/2008
Celebrating the tour
Roisin has thrown a party in London to celebrate the end of her European tour.Here is a report from My Fashion Life:
Hosted by two of the coolest cats in the styling business, Kabir and Leo Belicha, Roisin Murphy's end of tour party boasted a celeb-packed guest list like no other.
Held at Soho's Bureau Private Members club, the place was transformed into an atmospherically red boudoir, suitably in keeping with Murphy's tour vibe. Cocktails courtesy of sponsors Ciroc Vodka and a punch named after a track from her current Overpowered album were passed between guests until the early hours of the morning.
All eyes were on London's most fashion-forward crowd and It girl Pixie Geldof, musician Patrick Wolf, US actress Mischa Barton and designer Gemma Slack didn't disappoint with their choice of what to wear. Pixie sported a platinum elfin crop and Roisin Murphy herself lived up to her quirky reputation by wearing a mini baby doll dress with purple graphic print by Armand Basi.
Dj sets from Jerry Bouthier, Seiji and Mr and Mrs Smith kept guests entertained and dancing around their handbags, or in Roisin Murphy's case; her stylist's fox headpiece.
01/12/2008
Flash Dance
As this is a blog about Roisin Murphy, I feel I should report about anything that is related to her. However, when I comes to her backside it leaves me rather speechless...
Click here if the picture has aroused your curiosity.
Carry me Brixton
I was at Roisin's show in Brixton two nights ago and was once again overwhelmed by her stage presence and stamina - not to mention that amazing voice, which remains her strongest asset by far!
As all of you will have seen the stream on the official website by now I see little point in writing an extensive review. What could I possibly add?!
However, just in case anyone's interested I would like to share my highlights of the show:
(1) Overpowered: What a great choice to open the show with. The see through curtains create an intimate atmosphere and when Roisin and the stage are finally revealed it brings on the show's first climax.
(2) The pause between Overpowered and You Know Me Better: Roisin mentioning she was in the Brixton Academy a few years before, when Moloko performed their last show (released on DVD as 11000 Clicks). She seemed quite emotional, taking this short trip down memory lane.
(3) Through Time: One of the most beautiful songs Roisin's has ever written, taken from her album Ruby Blue. The song may well be about Mark Brydon:
Is it through memory’s rose tinted glass
I have come to ask
Or is it a love that was meant to last
Through time itself
(4) Movie Star (Kid Gloves remix): The original of this song has never been a favourite of mine, but Kid Gloves' beats lift it to a whole new level. They make the lyrics sound very dark indeed. Brilliant.
(5) Ramalama (Bang Bang): Could Roisin ever go wrong with this song? No! What Holiday is to Madonna, Ramalama (Bang Bang) is to Roisin. No show would be complete without it.
With the European tour coming to an end soon, I can't wait to see what Roisin has in store next. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was on Saturday.
Thanks to Jo for the VIP access!
Picture courtesy of door 101