Wallis Bird: ‘We’ve allowed ourselves to become addicted to technology and convenience with no care for the workforce’

BOOK: Nineteen eighty-four It’s terrifying and prophetic, written in 1948, although it could be from 2048 because of its technological vision. Is it art imitating life or simply his observation of our trajectory under capitalism? I remember first reading it and feeling as if it was too dystopian to ever come true, but we’ve allowed ourselves to become addicted to technology and convenience with no care for the workforce. But still I consider this book a beacon of defiance, a roadmap for solutions.

I’m also reading a zine by the Irish Bloc in Berlin, The Zine of Interest. Excellent title. There’s a massive pushback against the censorship of anti-genocide voices in Germany, where we live, so the Irish Bloc put together a manual on how to talk to your German pals about these subjects and also why the Irish are so in tune with the Palestinian plight.

​TV: Last Week Tonight I’ve watched every show from the political satirist John Oliver. So much so that I’ve to be careful to still be critical of his work because I trust him so much. He chooses a subject – politics, weather, social systems, public figures – and does a 30-minute focus piece about them. Sort of like Bassem Youssef or Samantha Bee. Fascinating.

​MUSIC: Kevin Ryan I listen to a lot of Kevin Ryan’s music because he’s a big friend who passed away this time last year. His songs have become even more poetic and deep ever since. His low slow deep tones kill me. Find his album Unbelievable on Bandcamp.

​GIG VENUE: Bob’s Bar I have to admit that of all the wonderous castles, manors, theatres, churches, forests and mighty halls I’ve played, Bob’s Bar in Durrow, Co Laois, caught my heart this year.

It reminded me of my parents’ home. It’s an almost 200-year-old stonewall boat house tigín sat on the banks of the river Erkina, laden with memorabilia, oak snugs, nooks and crannies, dance rooms, dinner hall and a great 70-seater theatre upstairs with Irish musical legends beautifully painted on the stage wall.