I was watching the Jools Holland End of Year Show.
It was really interesting to see the respect he gave to the Dubliners. It is funny how a folk band who emerged in the wake of the Clancy Brothers could still command such respect and prominence on the TV across the Irish Sea. It makes me wonder about what other Irish acts from the 1960s would still be respected today if they were still around.
I really enjoyed Dexy’s too. Hard to believe that time has rushed past since my first ever gig when they played in the Mansion House in 1980. It literally changed my life. The Tearjerkers from Northern Ireland opened and there was a comedy interlude by a young comedian by the name of Keith Allen. He told jokes about the SAS which the audience didn’t seem to find funny at all as I recall. One of the most incredible things about the gig was how at the end Kevin Rowland announced that as there were no barriers between the audience and the band we were all invited to come and say hello and meet the band. I was faced with the prospect of missing the last 46a home…yet who could resist such an invitation? It led to a life of going to gigs and walking.
Happy New year
the wildheartedoutsider
