Walking the line between genius and madman has long been the favourite pastime of Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe. Certainly, theres no questioning his chops as a pop writer largely recorded on a micro-budget, the Brian Jonestown Massacre songbook is awash with majestic psychedelic rock. Still, Newcombes finger seems always to hover over the self-destruct button. Whether brawling with band- mates, sabotaging record deals or beating up audience members, the California-native sometimes appears to enjoy the chaos as much as the music May 20, The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street D1, 8pm, 23. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.brianjonestownmassacre.com The Big Interview Sam Taylor-Wood Love from out of nometro Arts & Entertainment The Twilight Saga In Town Tonight Fancy a bloodsucking flick on a budget? Vue Cinema is offering all cinema-goers 2 for 1 on tickets to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Simply print off the voucher from the Vue website and present it when purchasing your ticket Until Dec 31, Vue Cinema, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre D22. Tel: 1520 501 000. www.myvue.ie Ultan Conlon The Loughrea troubadour, whos just released his debut album Bless Your Heart, has supported Lisa Hannigan and been feted by folk icon John Martyn Tonight, Whelans, 25 Wexford Street D2, 8pm, 10. Tel: (01) 478 0766. www.whelanslive.com Switch The DJ known to his mum as Dave Taylor has remixed everyone from Bjrk to Basement Jaxx. If you want to know what fidget house sounds like, Switch is your man Tonight, Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey Street D1, 11pm, 8 to 10. Tel: (01) 873 4800 life Book Now Brian Jonestown Massacre he past 18 months has been the most exhilarating experience of my life! exclaims Sam Taylor-Wood, her eyes shining. The 42- year-old Turner Prize nominee is supposedly describing the thrill of directing her first feature, Nowhere Boy, a biopic of John Lennon: the schoolboy years. Yet an extra twinkle is clearly caused by the eyebrow-raising fact the mum of two fell head over heels for Aaron Johnson, the 19-year-old she cast as Lennon, and theyre now engaged. It [the proposal] was a fantastic surprise and very romantic and I didnt know it was coming, she beams, giddy as the schoolgirl she already resembles in her APC shirt dress, art studenty purple tights and battered desert boots. But marriage? I demur not wanting to wee-wee on her parade, I mean Aarons closer in age to your 12-year-old daughter? Its simply a consequence of being so happy and madly in love! she gushes happily, making me feel like Im an interviewer for Hello! Its a Good Thing, she adds more seriously, and when good things come along you take them. Having twice beaten cancer, first colonic, then breast, you can appreciate Taylor-Woods determination to seize the day. And she was equally determined to seize hold of Nowhere Boy. It was just the most frustrating thing in the whole world! Because I just had this gutteral instinct that I was going to direct this film and why couldnt anyone see it? I kept calling them up and saying Come on, lets get on with it. Were wasting time here! I couldnt believe they couldnt see it my way! she laughs. They did, eventually. Sometimes Taylor-Wood has been T sniffed at by art critics for the way her work features her famous chums: she shot a pop video for Elton John featuring a lip-synching Robert Downey Jr, did a filmed portrait of David Beckham sleeping and let Kate Moss party at her house during her legendary 30th. But it actually wasnt the celeb factor that drew this elfin Goldsmiths graduate towards John Lennon. It was something more personal. Nowhere Boy focuses on the teenage Lennons rekindled relationship with his estranged biological mother, Julia, who abandoned him as a toddler, to be raised by his uptight aunt Mimi. We both had turbulent backgrounds, explains divorcee Taylor-Wood, who was raised in a free-living commune and was aged 15 when her own mother walked out (her father left when she was nine). Im definitely properly dysfunctional, she laughs cheerily. There were many elements of the story I felt akin to. Including, one cant help feeling, the unsettling older woman/ younger man flirtation between Lennon and his sexy, artistic, free-spirited mum, played by Anne-Marie Duff. Its something we umm-ed and ah-ed about how wed play it in the film, admits Taylor-Wood. John once said I came so close to my mothers breast one day, I could have had her in that moment. Whether that was just John being John and being provocative or whether he meant that, it was definitely something we felt we couldnt ignore. S omething else you cant ignore is the fact her new fianc looks absolutely nothing like John Lennon. So, I challenge: Be honest, did you just cast Aaron because he was well fit? Sam rolls her eyes, good-naturedly, I just had this gutteral instinct that I was going to direct this film and why couldnt anyone see it? The artist and director talks to Larushka Ivan- Zadeh about her new film and draws parallels between her life and that of John Lennon GIG The Longest Night 14 metrolife Monday, December 21, 2009 The longest and very possibly coldest night of the year falls on December 21, making it as fitting an occasion as any to mark the plight of Dublins (increasingly visible) homeless population. Among those gathering at the Button Factory to raise funds for the Simon Community will be Tipperary songstress Gemma Hayes (pictured left), local progsters Codes and special guest Glen Hansard (pictured right). For Hayes, the concert offers a timely opportunity to get reacquainted with Dublin audiences. Since the relative under-performance of last years The Hollow Of Morning a comeback LP that turned out to be anything but she has given the impression of being a songwriter adrift, not quite sure what her next move should be. However, shes recently returned from Black Box Studios in France with the outlines of a new album expect fresh-from-the-oven songs such as Tokyo, Waiting For You and Shock To The System to feature prominently. For their part Codes have enjoyed modest success in 2009. With the marketing might of EMI Records behind them, theyve garnered steady reviews for debut album Trees Dream In Algebra and appear to be building a following through incessant touring. Hansard, of course, remains grizzly- posterboy for the Irish singer-songwriter scene. With his second Swell Season LP, Strict Joy, garnering hugely positive reviews in the US the Hollywood-esque upturn in his fortunes since Once shows no sign of petering out. Also on the bill: Frames fiddle-player Colm Mac Con Iomaire and singer Fiona Melady. Eamon de Paor Tonight, The Button Factory, Curved Street D2, 7pm, 25. Tel: (01) 670 9202. www.buttonfactory.ie The hoTTesT TickeTs in Town We have two pairs of tickets to see Brian Jonestown Massacre at The Academy, May 20, 8pm For a chance to win, e-mail your answer to the simple question below to life@ metroireland.ie by noon today with Hot Tickets in the subject line. With the answer, please include your name and a number where you can be contacted between 1pm and 3pm. The tickets will be available for collection at the venue under your name. Entrants must be over 18. Q. Which band was Brian Jones a member of? A The Rolling Stones B The Stone Roses The winner of Fridays tickets to see Haunted is: Paul McMahon index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html