Here we are and here we are and here we go...
I was a early member of the Live Music Society in UCC. I played guitar and keyboards with a number of bands around Cork between 1985 and 1990, when I emigrated to England. I didn't get involved in much music in England. It was only when I moved to Hong Kong that I got back into playing music.
Nocturnal Activity
My first band was Nocturnal Activity. Our style was very hard to describe, but was a moderately successful fusion of blues/funk/rock/synth. Think of a strange cross between Jan Hammer (Miami Vice theme), Duran Duran and Status Quo. The high point of our brief bid for fame was playing support to The Hothouse Flowers in Sir Henry's pub in Cork City in August 1986. The last surviving live tape died many, many years ago. It was not a great loss. (See Hot House Flower's Gig History. Also, Click here for the whole site which is made with frames and very difficult to link to properly.)
Even today, if you ask any Cork people about Nocturnal Activity, you will get the response:
"Who? What? What's wrong with you, boy?"
The Plex
For a short while, I played keyboards with The Plex. I think we did one gig, which was a great pity as we were very good in rehearsals, at least according to our groupies.
Desert Beats
In my final few years in University I played keyboards and occasional guitar with The Desert Beats. Universal fame and adulation, willing groupies, record companies clamouring for a deal: all these are things we didn't have. The occasional gig in the College bar, Sir Henry's and Tim's dad's garage formed our rocky road to fame and the last wailing guitar solo tailed off into silence, echoing warmly through the reverb, in 1990.
Followed shortly after by the final ba-dum! on the drums as Eoin forgot when to finish. Again.
Our poster showed a pair of desert boots on a sand dune. It was a kind of pun. And if you think that was bad, then the original name of the band was The Lead Ashtray. The intention was that we could finish the gig by saying: "We've been Lead Ashtray! Goodnight!"
(sorry)
Wanch
When I moved to Hong Kong I started playing again.
My local pub,
The Wanch, has a regular Jam Night and I can usually be
found there on a Wednesday night. The picture on the left shows me
keeping an eye on the singer as we both try and figure out just
what we're actually playing and singing. That's an American
Standard Fender Stratocaster, by the way, part of my small guitar collection. The Wanch jam night has now (since March
2000) been relegated to the first Wednesday of every month.
I've played with a few bands since I've been in Hong Kong.
Moose Caboose
The first band was Moose Caboose a long running bunch of expats playing pop and rock covers. Not my thing, really, and I didn't stay there long.
Blues Prohibited
After all this, the back-burner blues project otherwise known as Blues Prohibited took over. Blues Prohibited toured China and Hong Kong, although the Thailand and Bali gigs fell through.
Dr. Sved
I started with Dr. Sved in early 1999. We do acoustic pop and rock. I play bass most of the time. I was using my fretless for a more acoustic sound, but i've recently changed to a fretted five string. They went in to hibernation and re-emerged with a substantially new lineup as Scooter.
EZ3CC
I've also played with The Eclectic Zimmerman Three Chord Circus, a Bob Dylan covers band which is very occasional and just for fun.
Solo Stuff
I've been playing with myself, er, I mean playing solo on and off for quite a while now. I've done some gigs at Wanchai Live, and the Kely Karnivals on the Peak. I've also done bits and pieces at Folk Festivals and folk nights.
I mainly play blues and some folky stuff, with the occasional rock or pop song thrown in if the audience looks like they need waking up. Some of the songs I play are: Hurts me too (Tampa Red), Little Red Rooster (Howlin' Wolf), Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson), I Need You Tonight (ZZTop), Free Fallin' (Tom Petty), Cover of the Rolling Stone (Dr. Hook), Tush (ZZTop), Learnin' to Fly (Tom Petty), She Belongs to Me (Bob Dylan), Down Where the Drunkards Roll (Richard Thompson), Psycho Killer (Talking Heads), John O'Dreams (Bill Addick), Built for Comfort (Howlin' Wolf), Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson), Tore Down (?), Before You Accuse Me (Bo Diddley), Malted Milk (Robert Johnson), Key to the Highway (Big Bill Broonzy), Leapardskin Pill Box Hat (Bob Dylan).