In case you’re not aware, the Van Morrison Cyprus Avenue gig this Friday is going out on Radio Ulster, with a TV screening on BBC NI – all should be easily available on the iPlayer. Here’s a bit from the Radio Ulster website:
Van Morrison Live On Cyprus Avenue:
On Monday 31 August, the day of Van’s birthday – BBC Radio Ulster will exclusively broadcast Van Morrison’s full 70th birthday concert live from Cyprus Avenue – the street which famously inspired the Astral Weeks track of the same name. Broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle from 2.45pm, this is a unique opportunity for Van Morrison lovers to hear the artist in all his live glory as he performs his sold-out matinee concert as part of the Eastside Arts Festival. Prior to the concert starting, Ralph McLean will be setting the scene for listeners as he takes in his surroundings at the Cyprus Avenue concert and chatting to fans lucky enough to get tickets for the event.
BBC Northern Ireland viewers will also have the chance to witness Van Morrison in action and relive the concert when it receives its exclusive television broadcast on BBC One NI on Friday, September 4 at 10.35pm. (Transmission times correct at time of publication.)
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1f58ZyVP4rQVFW2Z8V0Vck3/van-morrison-70th-birthday-celebrations
In other news, this month’s Mojo has a full-page ad (P8) suggesting that the bulk of the back catalogue is about to become available again, digitally at least. It also mentions a new best of, with a release date of this Friday (28/8), though it’s not clear if that’s for everything (probably is, given the occasion). Given the many VM gaps in my collection, I really hope the CDs are on the way.
Great now to navigate time zones and work out if any devices won’t be blocked here in oZ.
Anyone down here more experienced on such matters.
How about @mikethep ?
Well @junior-wells, I’m listening to the Vinny Hurrell Show on BBC Radio Ulster right now, via the invaluable TuneIn Radio on the iPhone. So that’s OK. Ulster is 9hrs behind. I’m stuck in an annoyingly Kafkaesque this-version-of-iplayer-is-no-longer-supported-you-need-to-upgrade-no-you-can’t-because-you’re-in-Oz nightmare, so iPlayer Radio on the phone isn’t an option for me.
As for TV, I connect on the Mac via the not-as-exciting-as-it-sounds My Private Network and a program called Tunnelblick. I can’t use phone or iPad app for the above reason. But it’s pretty flaky – even on a Tuesday morning it’s doing a lot of pausing and buffering, and that’s with cable. So mostly I don’t bother. Your chances of getting radio and TV in sync are zero, I suspect.
“a lot of pausing and buffering” – is this what we can expect from the Vanmeister on the day?
PS I’ve just downloaded iPlayer downloader via the Tunnel and am currently downloading the Best of the Andy Williams Show (purely for research purposes, you understand). Seems to be working ok, if slow.
so waiting til some kind soul puts it on youtube may be the go @mikethep
Well yes, that would be my preferred option, but then I’m not much of a Van man.
O, and I note that Sony are bringing back the long distant Van catalogue to CD life, including, Vulpes, the Chieftains one.
Re: “Irish Heartbeat”. Yeah, that’s a cracking good album. I really like Sir Van and Kevin Conneff sharing the lead vocals on the dual-language version of “Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta (My Match It Is Made)”.
Any details re reissue resurrection ?
If you have Sky, BBCNI is available, along with all the other BBC local variations somewhere in the 950-970 area of the EPG. I’ll be watching!
I don’t alas Jim. But please let us know what it is like.