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Pierce finds his voice

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Eileen Murphy

OK, we’re convinced that Irish actor Pierce Brosnan has a portrait aging in an attic somewhere, but really, who cares? Even if he were the absolute incarnation of evil, which of course he’s not, those piercing blue eyes and dreamy dimples could lead us to hell — happily — in a handbasket.

What prompts this stream of gushy prose is the cover story on Brosnan in last week’s Sunday Tribune magazine. In a conversation with reporter Ciaran Carty, the Navan-born actor, whose new movie, "The Nephew," has opened to rave reviews, discusses the pain he felt moving to England as a child.

"I had my Irishness thrust in my face," he recalled. "Me, with my thick Navan accent. The whole immigration hysteria about Indians and Irish was coming to a head. It was difficult. But you toughen up pretty quickly, either with fists or with humor."

Brosnan didn’t like "being thumped," nor did he like "thumping back." He used humor to smooth troubled waters, creating what he called an "alter ego."

"I took on a cockney accent — that was my dissembling," he said. "I knew in my heart that it wasn’t my voice. But I buried my Irishness. And that galled me later in life."

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Brosnan appreciates the irony of playing super agent — make that super British agent — James Bond in the current series of Bond films.

I find it a great kick in the pants doing Bond — me, an Irishman. After all the pain and confusion of trying to fit in in England as a child, trying to be part of a society where I didn’t belong."

They’re gonna collect "silver and gold"

Those of you who’ve been staring longingly at your CD collections, waiting, hoping and praying that Bono and the boys would somehow find a way to put another $50 million dollars in their pockets — well, kids, your wait is over.

Island Records has announced that they will release three "best of" U2 compilations, featuring the band’s chart-toppingest hits from their two decades of togetherness. The first collection, imaginatively titled "U2 The Best of 1980-1990" hits stores on Tuesday, Nov. 3. There are no release dates yet for the other two albums.

Now, longtime readers will know that nothing is plain and simple in U2 land. The "Best of" album will come with a special, limited time, get ’em while they’re hot-type bonus. For the first week, the 14-track album will only be available as a limited edition double-CD pack, with a bonus CD featuring 15 of U2’s B-sides from the 80’s — all at a special (unannounced) price. The album will also be available in the standard edition (no B-sides) beginning Nov. 10. After two weeks, the company will stop shipping the two-CD set, which will lead to great gnashing of teeth among procrastinating fans — so if you love the B’s, get to a record shop early.

To whet your whistles, Island will also release a new U2 single called "Sweetest Thing" to radio on Tuesday, Sept. 29. "Sweetest Thing" was originally intended to be on The Joshua Tree album, but was not finished in time. An incomplete version subsequently appeared as a B-Side to "Where the Streets Have No Name." The band recently returned to the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite and finished the track.

So, what’s on the new album? According to Island, the tracks include:

"Pride (In the Name of Love)"

"New Year’s Day"

"With or Without You"

"I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For"

"Sunday Bloody Sunday"

"Bad"

"Where the Streets Have No Name"

"I Will Follow"

"The Unforgettable Fire"

"Desire"

"Angel of Harlem"

"When Love Comes to Town"

"Sweetest Thing"

"All I Want is You"

There’s no word yet on whether these are all studio tracks, or if they’re throwing in a few of the live gems. After all, what collection could be complete without the live versions of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "I Will Follow" from "Under a Blood Red Sky"? Or the collaboration with the New Voices of Freedom gospel choir on "I Still Haven’t Found" from "Rattle and Hum"? And the public demands — yes, demands! — the live version of "Bad."

By the way, we still contend that the band will release an album of new material around the beginning of the year. The "best of" route is just an easy way to make some dough, and Christmas is coming, and they have all those people to shop for, and things are so expensive these days . . .Getting his baring

Maybe it’s because we’re used to central heating, but we’ve always felt that if one were to start a nudist colony anywhere on the planet, there are a few places one wouldn’t choose. Ireland would be at the top of the list, just behind Anchorage, Iceland and Siberia.

Fortunately, for entertainment purposes, anyway, Ray MacNamara is made of sterner stuff. The Ballinlough, Co. Cork, carpenter had a few too many scoops at his local last week, and decided to remove his clothes in the middle of the night — in the middle of Cork City. It was a brave, if breezy, attempt to convert the good citizens of Cork to nudists. The Gardai were unimpressed by his arguments (or, one assumes, by the cut of his birthday suit) and hauled him off to the pokey.

Of course, McNamara sobered up eventually. He told the Sunday World: "I’m very embarrassed by the whole thing. . . . I’ve no intention of ever stripping again, and I won’t be campaigning for a nudist colony ever again."

McNamara was fined £60 for offensive conduct, £60 for offending public modesty and £30 for being drunk.

IOU for that

As a public service, we should warn you that the Irish fondness for teenybopper bands shows no sign of waning. There’s a new bunch of likely lads being touted as the next BoyZone, and they just might be dreamy enough to make the girls forget Ronan, Mikey, Stephen, et. al. Their name? Well, at the moment it’s IOU.

The five guys — two from Dublin, three from Sligo — are on the fast track to the top of the charts, and are set to open for BoyZone on an upcoming tour. The band’s name will be changed as part of an image makeover — after all, who wants to go through life as (or in) debt?

The mastermind behind this latest hunk bunch is Louis Walsh, who is, of course, the mastermind behind BoyZone. The IOU lads are well aware of how lucky they are to be associated with the most successful manager in Ireland other than U2’s Paul McGuinness.

"To be perfectly honest, we wouldn’t be anywhere without Louis Walsh," said band member Mark. "He’s a pop genius."

Of course, they have an answer for the naysayers who (nay) say, enough already!

"Every time you get a boy band, you’re going to get different personalities. There’s five new personalities here, and that’s what you have to put across on stage so the people adapt and react to it."

Oooooooh.

Irish Rep benefit for Concern

Those of you who feel seeing some terrific theater and doing a good deed at the same time will want to hie themselves over to the Irish Repertory Theater on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. for a special benefit performance of "The Irish . . . And How They Got That Way."

All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Irish relief agency Concern Worldwide, which is sending teams and supplies to help alleviate famine in the Sudan. Tickets are $35. For reservations and information, call (212) 727-2737. The Irish Repertory Theater is at 132 West 22nd St., NYC.

By the light of the "Moonshine"

"Moonshine," will open at the Irish Arts Center next Friday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. Written by Irish playwright Jim Nolan and directed by Don Creedon, the play has all the earmarks of a hit. For tickets and information, call the Irish Arts Center at (212) 592-3316.

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