News
(2004)
ARCHIVE News:
2002 2003
2004 2005
2006 2007
10.12.04 St. Stephens Night -Dolans
Warehouse!!!!
Sep 04 'Strachan' on Peel show
Feb 21.04 'Rat' on the box
(From Press Release Dec 04)
After weeks of speculation, negotiation, mastication and mastering of
recordings The Hitchers have
confirmed
that this years annual Christmas Party will take place after all. It had
been believed unlikely that there would
be a gig this year as Eric and Niall have a lot on their plate with The
Pennywhores 'Legalise Murder' single
doing much better than expected as well as Niall's ongoing treatment on his war
worn legs.
This years gig takes place on Sunday
December 26th and the lads are back in Dolans Warehouse and
once again it's hoped to get as many of the old guard as are willing, able and
about to participate.
There'll also be unreleased CDs on sale on the night 'A Well Earned Break For
The Firing Squads -The Hitchers
1989-2001' a 22 track opus covering all the bands releases as well as the
long awaited, 21 track epic in its sheer
gargantuousness, tank battalion crushing rumble-hammer that is 'Live in
Limerick'
Admission is €10. Among the
supports on the night will be
Niall and Erics new band The Pennywhores
and of course there'll be a post-gig
party with special guest DJs.
Oct 04
John Peel R.I.P.
Niall here again only a month after paying respects to Johnny Ramone. I'm gutted
to have to do likewise for someone else who
had a massive influence on me. I've just heard the terrible news that John Peel
died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 65 and leaves a wife, Sheila, and four
children.
I discovered much of the music I love today through John Peel and certainly
would never have gotten to hear much of it had he not put
his neck on the line to champion artists and material others wouldn't touch. I
don't even know where to start if I tried naming bands. Half Man
Half Biscuit, Wedding Present, Pulp........don't even need to go any further but
could go on all night.
Of course he also gave The Hitchers great support and the fact that we'd been
played on his show and that we'd recorded a Peel Session
opened so many doors for us. There are many, many other musicians out there who
owe a similar debt of gratitude. We shall not see his like again. R.I.P.
John,
thanks for the good times, thanks for the memories, thanks for Billy Bragg, the
'fannies, the stuffies, the weddoes and the biccies.
Oct 04
Niall and Erics new band The Pennywhores release
their first single 'Legalise Murder'
through 4-3-3 on Saturday November 6th. More
here.
Apparently John Peel played Strachan
on his BBC Radio 1 show again recently.
'Rat' -the
movie featuring Pete Poselthwaite (Brassed Off, In The Name of The Father) and
Frank Kelly
(Fr. Jack in the Father Ted TV series) and which features The Hitchers 'You Can
Only Love Someone
So Much But You Can Hate Them All The Way To Hell' gets it's Irish TV premiere
on Network 2 at 9.20
this evening.
Jan 04 Brendan O'Halloran R.I.P.
Brendan O'Halloran who passed away in January was a good mate
of The Hitchers.
As well as being a Firefighter he was a gifted photographer who worked with The
Hitchers
back in the late 80's and early '90's -most notably on the front cover of 'Blame
It On His Hormones'.
"Fireman" Brendan was well known then on the Limerick music scene as a
lensman who
always delivered a top rate job. He kept track of our career the whole way
through and would
often remind us he still had his copy of the very first demo ("...Streaking
Chicken from Mercury...") from back in 1989.
Some more of Brendan O'Hallorans
work with The Hitchers from late 1992
As well as a keen interest in local music Brendan supported pretty much every
sport
being played in the city and I can't think of a Limerick FC game I attended that
I didn't
bump into him -though to my shame he could remind me of many he didn't see me
attending.
He was a lovely guy and he'll be sorely missed. Our thoughts and sympathies
are with Brendans family and many friends. Rest In Peace mate.-Niall
Jan 04
1.1.04 Happy New Year from The Hitchers
