November 23 1989
Fugazi, Slowest Clock, Not Our World
McGonagles
Fugazi was the band that really got things going for Hope. This gig, their second visit to Ireland, was packed out. We were totally taken by surprise. For a while it was looking hairy – Snuff were due to play but had to pull out of the gig due to a death in their family so Slowest Clock, from Dublin stepped in at very short notice.
In a repeat of what happened the first time they came over, Fugazi missed the ferry. I was playing in the first band and when we went on stage Fugazi still hadn’t shown up. There were no mobile phones then so my Dad drove into the gig to tell us that Fugazi were in Holyhead at 4 pm and were due to get the next ferry. In the event, things worked out fine. Fugazi arrived in plenty of time, during our set, and literally shook McGonagles that night. The PA kept threatening to fall over and we had to station people to just hold the speaker stands up. There was a lot of dancing and many people felt they could get up on stage and jump into the crowd at will – something Fugazi and plenty of others in the audience didn’t want. I was amazed afterwards when we went to count the money with Ian McKaye, singer with Fugazi. There was £1400 left after the venue and PA had been paid. Ian said “how about we take £550 and you use the rest to do other things”.
After receiving his reassurance that it was ok I said fine/thanks a million. We used that money to start a ‘Hope’ fund, money that could be used as a back-up in case things didn’t go accoding to plan. ‘Hope’ then got to put on a load of great bands, give them at least their ferry fare regardless of crowd numbers and release a record. Fugazi assisted in that happening and Dublin owes them a great debt.
I’ve been listening to Fugazi’s “Steady Diet of Nothing” on repeat the last couple weeks (along with McKaye’s later venture the Evens). Cool to see the part they played in Hope.