No Rock And Roll Fun

NO FAGS: Southern Ireland has just banned smoking from its pubs and clubs, which is causing some odd concern that the new rules might harm indie music in the country. Derek Nally, who books acts for Wheelans and The Village in Dublin, frets that "people go to great lengths to see established acts and won't be put off by the ban, but smokers might think twice about going to see new acts now." Eh? If it was just gigs that were affected, you could perhaps see his point, but since you can't smoke anywhere in Ireland that is termed a "workplace" it's not like Johnny Cigarettes will think "I would have gone to see Liquid Greek tonight, but as I can't flash up a tab in there, I'll go to the pub instead."

In fact, the only real music-related casualty of the ban will be you'll no longer be down the front when some twat attempting to mosh with a blazing Rothmans in his or her hand keeps knocking into you, covering your clothes in those tiny little holes. Or, in summer, making your arms look like an obsessive Manics fan's. Now all they need to do is clear out the ubertwats who have a problem grasping the basic nature of liquids and why they're not acceptable in mad-dancing situations, and Dublin might become the only place in these islands where you can dervish yourself silly without wrecking your entire wardrobe with burnholes and lager stains.