Upfront
A few words with Derek Birney, librarian and occasional Ball security Why the decision to do security? Like most of my decisions it was rooted in my perpetual skintness. Having said that, it’s usually good fun and a decent way to spend a Friday night in May. What’s the most amusing thing you’ve seen at the Ball? Erm, I’ve seen couples getting “acquainted” against the wall of the Museum Building... how the ring of people shouting comments didn’t interrupt them is beyond me. The video is probably on YouTube somewhere! What’s the most disturbing thing you’ve seen at the Ball? We see quite a lot of injuries, nearly all falls taken while drunk. High heels, cobblestones and twenty Vodka & Red Bulls don’t mix too well. It’s a pity to see people being evacuated by stretcher an hour into the ball because they fell and injured themselves. There are very occasional fights but in the main they’re a wellbehaved bunch. What’s the greatest length that anyone’s gone to in attempting to get booze into the Ball? I’d imagine the usual handbag vodka
trick, but some people stash booze before the ball and then can’t get to it because it’s out of bounds. One guy tried to bribe me to let him look in the bins in case there was drink hidden there. God loves a trier! Ever been involved in any physical scuffles with drunken revellers? Very seldom. My job is to stop people crashing the ball via the back of the Berkeley from Nassau St. We always catch these folks and they usually go quietly once they realise that the game is up. Sometimes they are completely out of it and can be less than co-operative but they have to be ejected to protect the other ball-goers. I’ve broken up a few fights but they’re not usually nasty, just arguments that get out of hand and usually between friends. Have things changed much since your time as a student at the Ball? I’ve been doing it for six years now and wouldn’t say it deviates much from year to year. I suppose the main difference is the increased cost of drink and food; people tend to arrive later and more bladdered as they tank up at home first.
Battle of the bands HEAT 1 (April 8th): The Octane Theory - www.myspace.com/theoctanetheory Redreck - www.myspace.com/redreck1 She’s The Fastest – www.myspace.com/shesthefastest Vinyl Mesh – www.myspace.com/vinylmesh The Draize Test – www.myspace.com/thedraizetest HEAT 2 (April 15th): Press Empire – www.myspace.com/pressempire Holy Matrimony - www.myspace.com/matrimonyforever The Dynamicks - www.myspace.com/thedynamicks Purr - www.myspace.com/purrmusic
Vitalic Newman “repetitio est mater studiorum,” repetition is the mother of learning; by that metric, students should be wellversed in this Francophone instrumental by the end of Vitalic’s set.
Streetlife DJs We Love the Disco Sound They certainly do and we love this track. Taking some wonderfully camp chants and throwing in dollops of strutting synth hooks, the Streetlife boys have created a disco monster.
Fight Like Apes Lend Me Your Face Before Fight Like Apes were playing SXSW and opening for The Prodigy, they made a name for themselves with little gems like this. Two minutes of mischievous, shouty brilliance.
HEAT 3 (April 22nd): State Between States - www.myspace.com/statebetweenstates Jabbas - www.myspace.com/jabbasjay Take the Money and Run - www.myspace.com/ttmr Noise Machine – www.myspace.com/noisemachinemusic
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