Féile: Pat O’Mahony on Gallagher & Byrne
- Okay, here's a breakdown of the key memories and anecdotes from the provided text, organized for clarity.
- * Context: The author attended manny Féiles, including the five in Thurles.
- * Positive Aspects: The author appreciated the variety of acts at the Féiles.
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key memories and anecdotes from the provided text, organized for clarity. It focuses on the concerts and musical experiences described:
1. The Stone Roses at Féile ’95 (Cork)
* Context: The author attended manny Féiles, including the five in Thurles. they were involved in getting Féile ’95 in Cork televised on RTÉ, traveling with Ray D’Arcy, Dustin the Turkey, and a TV crew.
* Experience: The Stone Roses were the headliners on the Sunday night. The author found Ian Brown’s singing to be poor (“couldn’t sing for nuts,” ”offkey most of the time”). Despite this, the overall experience was memorable.
2. Féile in General
* Positive Aspects: The author appreciated the variety of acts at the Féiles.
* Decline: Féile eventually “dribbled out,” with a failed attempt to revive it at the Point Depot in ’96, which the author found “awful.”
3. David Byrne (Talking Heads) at Féile (1992)
* Unique Moment: A memorable incident occurred during David Byrne’s set. The crowd began throwing crushed paper cups into the air while Byrne had his back turned to them. When he turned around, he was visibly shocked by the “midge-like” swarm of cups.
4. R.E.M. at The SFX (1984)
* Early Gig: The author saw R.E.M. at a small venue, the SFX, for only £3.25.
* Radio interview & Irony: They heard R.E.M. on the radio with fanning,where the band stated they had stopped playing “Radio Free Europe” because it had become an albatross. The very first song R.E.M. played at the concert was “Radio Free Europe.”
* Intimate Setting: The gig had a small audience of only a few hundred people.
5.David Bowie (“Cracked Actor” era)
* Documentary Influence: The author is a huge Bowie fan and was impacted by alan Yentob’s Cracked Actor documentary (1975), which showed Bowie during a creative peak but also struggling with cocaine abuse.
* Observation: The author watched the documentary and recognized the self-destructive path Bowie was on.
Overall Themes:
* Nostalgia: The text is heavily nostalgic, reflecting on formative musical experiences.
* The Power of Live Music: The author clearly values the energy and atmosphere of live concerts.
* Unexpected Moments: Many of the memories revolve around unexpected or humorous incidents that made the concerts unique.
* Evolution of Music Scenes: The text hints at the changing landscape of music festivals and the rise and fall of events like Féile.
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect or memory from the text!