The Side Effects Of Breaking Bad

Critically acclaimed and commericially successful, the multi-award winning series Breaking Bad has been proclaimed by many to be the best show currently on the box and even one of the greatest ever. Heading an exceptional cast is Bryan Cranston, whose portrayal of mumbling professor turned meth kingpin Walter White has captivated audiences worldwide. But what about the side effects of our addiction to AMC's groundbreaking drama? Here are 4 examples of what happened when some viewers took the show a little too seriously.

74 Year Old Female Walter White
In perhaps the most comical of all Breaking Bad related drug crimes, 74 year old Math professor Irina Kristy of Boston was discovered to be running a meth lab from her own home with the help of her 29 year old son. The Boston University tutor was caught red handed in a raid on her home in November 2011. It's not clear how the elderly criminal became involved in the drug trade, but it's an almost identical situation to Walter, the only difference being that Kristy is facing a prison sentence unlike our protagonist.

Record Breaking Drug Bust In The Big Apple
October 2012 saw the largest drug bust in New York history as the Drug Enforcement Agency seized $800,000 worth of meth from a boarding house in Westchester, New Rochelle. The DEA (workplace of Walt's half-brother Hank in the show) worked in conjuction with the NYPD to carry out the raid and arrest two suspects inside the house.

Drug Cartel 'Super Lab' Taken Down
In January of this year, SWAT teams raided a 'super lab' in New Mexico (the predominant setting of the show) which was reputed to contain 99% pure crystal meth, a staggering number that defies even the talents of Walter White (who boasts a purity figure of 97% at best). Police said that they ''obliterated'' the drug cartel, identifying Steve-O Bennett as the kingpin of the cartel. The lab reportedly had the power to outpit 50 pounds of the drug in a single cycle.

Gardai On Alert For Breaking Bad Drug Outbreak
Even here in our beloved Ireland, Breaking Bad is taking effect on the population as e800,000 worth of meth was seized in Waterford last September. The criminals used the drug Sudafed, available in Pharamacies throughout the country, to manufacture their own home made meth. Gardai arrested a 32 year-old man and warned chemists to take extra care in their distribution of the drug in future.

It seems that many of Breaking Bad's impressionable audience have found their inner Heisenberg, but one thing they all have in common is the unfortunate ends they've all met at the hands of the law. Whether the same will be said for Walt at the end of the series remains to be seen.


Breaking Bad returns to screens in July 2013.

''The Hobbit'' Reaches $1 Billion To Join Highest Grossing Films Of All Time

The first of Peter Jackson's planned Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey, has passed the $1 billion mark and become only the 15th movie ever to do so.

Released in December, the film recieved mixed to positve reviews but while its critical reception hasn't exactly been overwhelmingly (you can check out our review here) it has certainly seen its share of financial success. It's sequel, The Desolation Of Smaug, is set for release in December while There And Back Again will complete the trilogy in December 2014.

2012 was a great year for the industry with the likes of Avengers Assemble, Skyfall and The Dark Knight Rises all joining the list in 3rd, 7th and 8th place respectively. You can see the full list below.

1. Avatar (2009) - $2.7b
2. Titanic (1997) - $2.1b
3. The Avengers (2012) - $1.5b
4. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows- Part 2 (2011) - $1.3b
5. Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011) - $1.1b
6. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - $1.1b
7. Skyfall (2012) $1.1b
8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) $1.08b
9. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1.08b
10. Toy Story 3 (2010) - $1.06b
11. Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1.06b
12. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999) $1.04b
13. Alice In Wonderland (2010) $1.04b
14. The Dark Knight (2008) $1.004b
15. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) $1.001b

The HMM Guide To Irish Festivals 2013

Staying home this summer? Don't let the weather get you down, there are plenty of reasons not to leave Ireland in your search for quality tunage. Here's your guide to our very own festivals from May to September...



Life (24-26 May)

Kicking things off this summer is Life Festival, a chillout dance/drum 'n' bass weekend that usually takes place on the last weekend of May in Belvedere House. For those looking to start things early, Life is the place to be having picked up several awards in recent times including  'Best Irish Dance Festival' at the Irish Festival Awards the past 3 years in a row.

Tickets: A decent offering at e160, and considerably cheaper on presale (e126/e138). There's even a ticket installment option offering you payments of e44 in 3 seperate transactions.

Line-Up: Highlights this year include Modeselektor, Groove Armada and MMOTHS. Full line-up available here.


Forbidden Fruit (1-3 June)

Forbidden Fruit growing reputation has led to the ambitous decision to expand from Dublin to Cork and Galway this year, not surprising really considering the immense line-up it featured in 2012 which included Death Cab For Cutie, New Order, Wilco and Grimes to name but a few. Another feature of the festival is the Comedy Tent which is set to continue in 2013.

Tickets: Regular prices stand at e49.50 (1 Day) e89.50 (2 Day) and e115 (Weekend), another bargain for the average festival goer.

Line-Up: Set to be announced this Tuesday with early bird tickets on sale Wednesday, stay tuned!


Longitude (19-21 July)

Rumours had surfaced of MCD's new addition to the festival scene as early as last year, and judging by the line-up announced earlier this week, it's going to be a good one. The laid-back vibe of the announced acts was a pleasant surprise for many who were expecting a cast of Oxegen shams, and it seems that Marlay Park is the place to be on the 19th-21st of July this summer.

Tickets: Early Bird tickets are e129.50 for the weekend and e44.50 for the day.

Line-Up: Kraftwerk (who'll be performing in innovative 3D style), Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Modest Mouse. Full line-up available here.


Castlepalooza & Indiependence (2-4 August)

These two small-time events on the Bank Holiday weekend are great alternatives for the cheap and cheerful bunch of lads who are more than happy to spend their weekend in a field rather than actually focusing on the music. That's not to say the festivals don't provide decent acts though, with Castlepalooza featuring MMOTHS and Le Galaxie last year, continuing its tradition of promoting up and coming Irish acts. while the same can be said about Indiependence, which specialises in home grown talent including sets from Republic Of Loose, Fight Like Apes and The Blizzards since its inception. Both festivals take place on the same weekend and tend to share their acts amongst each other.

Tickets: Castlepalooza are offering a 3 day camping ticket at a staggering e59 at the moment, while Indiependence is still good value at e99 for the weekend.

Line-Up: Nothing announced just yet...


Oxegen (3-4 August)

It seems that the once mighty Oxegen has taken a slight fall in recent times having had a break in 2012 and cutting this year's event a day short. According to reports, the decision to shorten the festival is due to costs such as policing and insurance. In addition to the change of length, the traditional July spot that Oxegen holds has been switched to the first weekend of August, which seems a little inconsiderate towards the smaller events aforementioned considering Oxegen's massive attendence. Unless it's an absolutely cracking line-up (and it doesn't seem so with The Rolling Stones, Rihanna and Elton John the rumoured headliners), this is one to avoid as the knacker parade takes over Punchestown Racecourse for a very messy weekend.

Tickets: Last time around they were e244.50 for 4 day camping, e224.50 for 3 days, and e99.50 for just the one.

Line-Up: Reports were that we'd get the line-up last month but nothing so far...


Electric Picnic (30 Aug-1 Sept)

Without a doubt the country's greatest music event and one of Europe's finest festivals, Electric Picnic is back in 2013. In additon to it's usually excellent list of acts, the Body & Soul arena, Trenchtown Comedy Tent, and wonderful selection of food will keep campers entertained all weekend. Described in the past as the ''Irish Glastonbury'', this is one weekend you don't want to miss if it's anything like last year.

Tickets: Usually e229 for the weekend and e99.50 for the Sunday.

Line-Up: No info on that but if I was to speculate I'd go for Radiohead, Beck, The Stone Roses, The Arcade Fire and maybe, just maybe Daft Punk.



Well that's my guide to this summer in Ireland, personally I'll most likely be found at Electric Picnic, with Forbidden Fruit another distinct possibility while a day at Oxegen could be sufficed if they pull out some amazing headliner by chance.


Stay tuned for HMM's guide to the European summer festival scene next week.

The X Factor Live in The O2 (25/2/13)

Following the X Factor's significantly lower viewership in 2012, questions were raised about the reality series' ability to keep up the pace and continue to dominate television ratings and the UK charts as it has since 2004. However, yet another Christmas number 1 in James Arthur's ''Impossible'' and another sell out live tour would suggest that the Simon Cowell machine is still a booming business, and so The 02 was full to the brim last night with a cast of screaming teenagers and younger children accompanied by their parents, all of whom making a serious amount of noise even before the show began.

And while this is a far cry my typical type of gig, I must admit that The X Factor know how to put on a hell of a show. The stage set-up was magnificant and acts were introduced in the same format as throughtout the show, providing an atomsphere to rival or even better the live Saturday night sing-off. First to the stage was Rylan Clark, a controversial figure this year and notorious pain in the backside of Gary Barlow for his weak vocal skills, going as far as to label the singer ''talentless'' and a ''joke act''. Putting that aside, Rylan is undoubtedly a gifted showman and got the crowd going early on with his own rendition of ''Gangnam Style'' and later spicing it up with nineties classic ''Wannabe''.

Next up were the boybands in Union J and District3 respectively, two very different acts in terms of talent as the four piece of Union J far outshined their counterparts with a memorable version of Taylor Swift's ''Love Story'' before calling up a delighted young audience member for ''Call Me Maybe'', a nice touch that was received well by the Irish crowd. The less said about District3 the better as the trio belted out tuneless versions of ''Beggin'' and ''Tears In Heaven'' that sounded much the same, and just as bad on the original show.

Another unattractive aspect of the show was the eternally dislikable Christopher Maloney, a frequent victim of criticism on the show yet a contender for the crown all the way simply due to his Liverpool heritage, and his family's excessive voting strategy, rumoured to be in excess of £25,000 individually for his grandmother and close friends. The scousers mainipulative and fake personality shone through as he spoke to the crowd, gushing praise toward everyone present, before delivering a string of tunes that would truthfully sound more at home on a cruise ship than on stage, and it won't be long before the Liverpool native finds himself on the ferry performing to passengers rather than sold out audiences.

The cripplingly shy Jahmene Douglas was a welcome improvement, kicking off with ''Ain't No Mountain High Enough'' and finishing with a cover of Bealtes' classic ''Let It Be''. While I'm usually disgusted by X Factor attempts at these legendary songs (''Hallejulah'' in 2010 being by far the worst offender), even I have to admit Douglas' take was respectful to the original and by no means a disaster.

In a year that saw the weakest set of finalists to date, I honestly believe that the show struck gold in two artists that have very real potential for legimate solo careers in the form of their winner (moore on him later) and the exceptional Ella Henderson. Henderson is a level beyond the X Factor in my opinion, and has demonstated it several times with her outstanding vocal and musical ability. Her decision to audition with an original song was impressive and she performed the emotionally charged ''Missed'' in Dublin which silenced the crowd for the only time of the night. Another excellent feature of her set was a unique cover of Cher's ''Believe'', which Henderson performed on piano in accomplished style, yet again convincing me that her path as an artist lies far beyond this tour.

The final act of the night was James Arthur, the winner of the series and in my eyes the best X Factor contestant of all time. Arthur convinced me of this following his incredible survival performance in week 7 with a passionate, stunning rendition of Alicia Keys' ''Fallin'' and ever since he proved himself a worthy winner with his original approach. His extended song set included ''Sexy And I Know It'', ''Hometown Glory'' and ''Let's Get It On'', all memorable performances from the show, before finishing with first single and number 1 hit ''Impossible''. If Arthur sticks to his instincts and remains true to his own vision then he could very easily find himself one of the shows most successful and acclaimed products, and he demonstrated that very clearly with his closing performance.

The entire ensemble ended the night with a version of U2's ''Beautiful Day'' and no doubt the Irish audience will go home feeling they got their moneys worth, but in truth the night belonged to Ella Henderson and James Arthur. If The X Factors relevance has been called into question recently due to slipping ratings, we need only to look toward these well executed, sell-out performances to confirm the fact that the reality series is very much still a successful business, but even more importanty if Cowell and co. can handle these two gifted young artists in the proper manner, they may just have found their most credible recording artists yet, and if The X Factor continues to provide a stage for young talent such as this to be recognised, then I fully support the cause.

Bloc Party at The Olympia Theatre (12-13/2/13)

''Hello Dublin. We are Bloc Party from London. Long time no see.'' And it certainly has been- you couldn't tell from Kele Okerere's brief introduction but just a short while ago it seemed that Bloc Party were on the brink of extinction and we'd never see them again as a collective whole but here they were standing before a delighted audience in the Olympia Theatre upon their return to Ireland.

The Olympia seemed a strange choice of venue for a band of such status but for fans it provided a more intimate atomsphere than The O2 and it proved to be that Kele and co. had made quite a shrewd move in selecting two nights in a smaller setting rather than one sellout on a larger scale.

Kicking off with a set of classics, the band wasted no time getting down to work, largely drawing from their earlier albums as opposed to last year's Four, a relief to many as it must be said that their most recent effort failed to live up to decidely high expectations. Fan favourites including Hunting For Witches, Waiting For The 7.18 and Like Eating Glass ensured that the crowd were bouncing early on before more recent tunes were played and it proved a successful method with fans who responded just as well to songs taken from Four, largely due to the fact that the band had chosen well with the likes of Real Talk, Day Four and Octopus which actually sounded better in concert than on the original record.

They weren't the only songs of the night that were improved upon for live performance however- many of the band's signature sounds were amplified simply by the fact that this is an exceptional group of musicians, something you may have forgotten while they were away. Drummer Matt Tong was in fine form throughout while the other half of the rythym section Gordon Moakes contributed more than just bass with his atmospheric backing vocals and multi-instrumental talent, regularly switching from his guitar to glockenspiel and synths. Russell Lissack remains one of the finest guitarists on the planet, effortlessly recreating his innovative sound on stage while Okerere's vocals are just as good if not better in concert, and really quite a beautiful thing to behold on tracks like Kruezberg, Sunday and Truth.

Ultimately, Bloc Party deserve real credit for the length of their setlists (they played two encores both nights) and their refreshing approach to live music, regularly switching up the order and selection of their set, a feature of live music that is becoming rarer these days as many bands churn out a pre-selected tour setlist for months on end. The sheer skill of the band is demonstrated wonderfully in a live setting as always, and fans will surely be hoping that they aren't quite so long away next time. It doesn't seem so though with two new songs debuted for Irish audiences this week- in fact they appear a truly revitalized act and the future for Bloc Party is looking very bright indeed.

Setlist (Tuesday)

So He Begins To Lie
Mercury
Hunting For Witches
Like Eating Glass
Real Talk
Waiting For The 7.18
Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Banquet
Coliseum
Day Four
One More Chance
Octopus
We Are Not Good People

Signs
Ares
This Modern Love
Flux (We Found Love Intro)

Ratchet
Truth
Helicopter

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Setlist (Wednesday)

So Here We Are
Team A
Trojan Horse
Hunting For Witches
Positive Tension
Real Talk
Waiting For The 7.18
Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Banquet
Coliseum
Truth
The Prayer
Octopus

Kruezberg
Sunday
Flux (We Found Love Intro)
Helicopter

Montreal
Ares
This Modern Love

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Disney CAO Confirms Star Wars Spin-Offs

Disney CAO Bob Iger has confirmed recent reports that there will be a series of ''standalone'' Star Wars films produced by the company in addition to their impending sequel trilogy. The first of the series is likely to focus on jedi master Yoda.

Speculation has been rising recently about the possibility of spin-offs from the classic sci-fi series, and Iger confirmed the reports, stating: ''I can confirm to you today that in fact we are working on a few stand-alone films... We still plan to make Star Wars 7, 8, 9 roughly over a six-year period of time starting in 2015 but there are going to be a few other films released in that period too."

Iger went on to reveal that Lawrence Kashdan, known previously to Star Wars fans for his writing on Episodes V and VI, will be involved with the projects, as well as Simon Kinberg (X-Men). He stated that both writers would be ''working on sequels that are not part of the overall saga.''

Who else deserves a spin-off? Landa Calrissian and bounty hunter Boba Fett are names that have been throw around for years by fans of the series due to their rich backstories, and surely some sort of Han Solo prequel would be a welcome prospect. Dare I even suggest a Darth Maul? Once we don't get a Jar Jar Binks movie, I'll be happy.

Conor Oberst at The National Concert Hall (5/2/13)

It's often said by Bright Eyes fans that they grew up listening to Conor Oberst, and it's not hard to see why the Nebraskan was a popular teenage choice throughout the last decade- the rite of passage that youths experienced with the angst-filled fury of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain throughout the 90's was passed on to Oberst at the turn of the century with 'Fevers & Mirrors', an album dripping with anxiety, fear and rage that spoke to a generation of young listeners while impressing critics at the same time. Listening back, it's easy to forget that Oberst was near the same age as those he was speaking to, and while we were busy growing up to a Bright Eyes soundtrack, he was getting older as we listened with recent albums Cassadaga and The People's Key all but confirming a departure from the raw sound of his earlier work in favour of a matured approach.

Tonight was telling as far as the current mentality and direction of Conor Oberst goes, beginning with his choice of venue- The National Concert Hall was host to the Bright Eyes frontman and made for a very different kind of concert experience with it's formal style. As last calls were made for the shows beginning, the middle aged audience was seated in a hushed venue and you could have mistaken the event for a play rather than a rock and roll performance. It all felt rather civilised for the Bright Eyes frontman, with this delicate acoustic setting a far cry away from the in-your-face angsty yelps of the bands early years.

Oberst arrived on stage to rapturous applause and got down to it quickly with Bright Eyes classics including ''The Big Picture'' and ''First Day Of My Life'', and there was a strange air of comfort in the Omaha man's performance, notorious previously for his disasterous live shows, which frequently included heavy drinking, sloppy peformances and a sick bucket for intense stage fright. His interaction with the crowd began slowly and developed into a warm, polite and even playful (perhaps most notably as he jumped off stage during ''Laura Laurent'' to hug the entire front row and engage them in a chorus of ''la, la, la's'' for the last minute of the song) relationship with descriptive song introductions and amusing interactions with other onstage performers.

Oberst's song choice leaned very much in favour of quieter classics in order to set the intimate vibe that glowed all around the hall as songs such ''Arienette'', ''Cape Canaveral'' and ''Classic Cars'' set the mood perfectly. Credit is well deserved also for Ben Brodin, a friend of Oberst and multi talented musician who regularly switched from guitar to piano to xylophone throughout the set while Samantha Stone provided her exceptional vocals and violin skills to proceedings, and it must be said that both performers added an extra layer of beauty to an already stellar performance, particularly in the case of ''Laura Laurent'', ''An Attempt To Tip The Scales'' and ''Make War''.

All in all, despite this being billed simply as Conor Oberst, the set read like a greatest hits collection of Bright Eyes with 12 of the 20 songs played taken from Oberst's most famous creation. His claim prior to the release of The People's Key last year was that he wanted to ''clean it up, lock the door, say goodbye'' after their seventh studio album is still ringing in many fans ears and it seemed to me that tonight Oberst was hand picking his favourite songs of the last 15 years, indicating the possibility that this low-key tour was in fact a way of closing the book on Bright Eyes and moving on.

Regardless, Conor Oberst has never seemed such a content, satisifed and genuinely happy person in all the years we've known him, and it shone throughout his performance- for this, tonight will be remembered fondly for those who were there and if it happens to be the last we see of Bright Eyes for a while what a wonderful way to leave.


Setlist

The Big Picture
First Day Of My Life
Common Knowledge
Arienette
Cape Canaveral
Going For The Gold
Lenders In The Temple
Classic Cars
Ladder Song
Night At Lake Unknown
At The Bottom Of Everything
White Shoes
You Are Your Mothers Child
Shell Games
??
Laura Laurent
Breezy


An Attempt To Tip The Scales
Make War
Waste Of Paint

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