IRISH WORKING CLASS CULTURE: FRAGMENTS AND REMINISCENCES
Dec 22nd, 2009 by Conor McCabe
This is from an interview which took place in a pub in Dublin, as part of an Irish labour and working class oral history archive. The questions focused mainly on housing, as well as the experience of growing up on a Corporation estate in the 1960s/1970s.
Towards the end of the interview, I asked the interviewee about the kind of music he listened to, the programmes he watched, and the things he did as a kid and as a teenager. In the clip below he’s talking about being a Mod in the 1970s/1980s. I’ve blanked all names mentioned, as well as the name of the pub where the interview took place, to protect anonymity.
I think it’s an interesting snippet, touching as it does on an aspect of Irish teen culture during the period, as well as providing a class analysis of that culture - an analysis initiated by the man himself.
I wouldn’t have thought Mods liked In Tua Nua but I could be wrong as I was a culchie wannabe. But it was Leslie Dowdall who sang with them, and Flo was with Les Enfants (I think).
I fear the Punks and Skins would have something to say about this.
That’s true about in tua nua and Leslie Dowdall, , and I remember thinking that at the time but it’s one of the things about oral history interviews, to intervene with a correction just kills the conversation. I like the story about the scooters though
Flo MacSweeney was with Les Enfants for a brief period alright.
Fair play for recording this. I’ve been meaning to do a few interviews and write something up about Bubbles for ages now. Hopefully in the New Year.
Looking forward to it Jay. Bubbles was before my time, and a different scene as well. We used to go to McGonacles with Echo and the Bunnymen trenchcoats. I was five foot six and 48 kilos. Bloody scarecrow. I’ve filled out (but not up) since then.
I’m trying to remember the name of that Dublin Mod band that Carr was connected with: it’s driving me mad. There was a big punch up at one of their gigs - someone thought it would be a good idea to put them on with Punk bands on the same bill. About 1983?
Was it Zen Alligators?
Are you thinking of the Commotion? EC was briefly involved in managing them….
Or was it The Host?
This might interest: On BBC Radio 4’s Archive On 4, Saturday 9 January 2009, Mods!
Available for a week or so after it is broadcast at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pxptv
That great, cheers for that Tomboktu. I’ll have a listen to that tonight.
Brian
The band was called the Commotion and they did regular gigs at the Mood Club in Tommy Dunnes tavern circa 1983-84. Eamonn never managed them but they featured on his label Hotwire records. It was a Mod /pop /garage band type compilation HIP CITY BOOGALOO that also featured The Fontaines, Light a Big fire, Private Number, Side One and the Temps. Their guitar player was John Byrne the now RTE Guide journalist.
have to laugh at the interviewiers incredulity about seeing the baldes “DID you see them play????”
Pity the names were bleeped out
As a mod in the eighties i can definitely say that i did not know of any Mods into In Tua Nua . To be honest yer man sounds like he was into Mod for a couple of Months and then dropped it. As for Bubbles - spot on that it was a death trap tho i think there was a backstairs that linked into the Apartment that could have been used in an emergency
important that he didnt mention the independent clubs run by Mods for mods - there were lots of them. La Scene club was running on friday nights for quite a while, Ric-Tic in the fox and pheasant, Biff-bang-pow up in barrys, Mood Club was a night run by martin Moore and Robbie Foy although not a mod club was frequented by Mods, then there were the all dayers Change the World, Emerald Society dayers and all the band nights in the CIE Hall - The Gents, Instant Party, Mark Le Gallez, Making time to name a few.
i dont ever remember us fighting with Metalers as a long term thing - punks in the early eighties were the enemy and as the decade progressed the casual townies from ormonde street and their ilk began to harry us. funnily enough i was in class with two of them so weekends we see each other on the battle lines and then weekdays be hanging around together in the school.
i checked my attic for my copy of Hip city boogaloo but cannot locate it. Nor can i find the Commotion 45 i used to own. but then as i sold off all my non-soul 45’s on o’connell bridge about 20 years ago i guess its not such a shock
Zen alligators mentioned above played in Bubbles and recorded a single and i think there was another band did the same tho their name escapes me.
The real joe is correct about the Mood Club, it was never strictly a Mod club but the mods that came along added a lot of energy to the place. As well as being the best dancers! Two bands on a night with a DJ playing 60Ts soul, ska and a bit of punk in between. As well as featuring all the bands that featured on the Hip City Boogaloo album it also featured a lot of the more beat orientated Dublin groups of the time. I remember the Golden Horde and the Gorehounds both gigging there.
One of the organisers Martin Moore also was the lead singer with the Fontaines and had the sharpest mohair suit in Dublin at the time. Some say he was Irelands answer to Otis Redding! But the whole scene was a lot hipper than that portrayed in that dreadful film ‘The Comitments’. ‘De Oirish are de blacks of Europe’. Ouch!
Still have the Commotions Red and Black poster with the silhoutte of Jim Larkin. Very cool.
The original mood club was definitley a taste of 60s London, in 80s Dublin, by that I mean it was about musci and clothes and lads being cool for lads, but there were women there too; later moved to the Belvedere, where it gained more peeps, but lost the original atmosphere.
Martin definitely influenced young mods with his sharp dreesing, I was one.
No mod I ever new would have given In tua nua, auto dafe or any of those middle class w*&k acts the time of day.
EC and the Zen’s got some respect cause he was all about the music, but no band wanted a mod label by 1980, and all the bands, Side One etc were out after that.
No ban d was totaly honest at the mood, they were on the Weller/Soul 79 revival train but wouldn’t say it out loud.
Not counting the gorehounds or golden horde in that, they were just looking for a gig in my book.
The Commotion stood out as the most competent and enjoyable by a long shot
Definitely the soul orientated bands who performed at the Mood Club where influenced by the nu/neo/psuedo soul/ska movement happening across the water. As well as Weller - Dexy’s, The Bureau, Specials, the Beat and the Redskins were big influences. But for those into and who knew their music this led them the real deal -Atlantic/Stax/James Brown/Trojan/Invictus/Ady Croasdells Kent re-issues, etc.
The Commotion definitely stood out. Some great original songs and their version of ‘Rescue Me’ always brought the house down. Although, one wag in the audience was heard to say once’ Its great the way they all play slightly out of tune, even the drums.’ That legendary character about town Aidan Walshe filmed a lot of the bands down at the Mood Club. Time for an RTE documentary on a real piece of Dublin working class youth culture? All of the Commotion came from areas like Pearse Street, Edenmore, etc
Bubbles article is finally finished:
http://comeheretome.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/bubbles-mod-night-1981-1987
Just in time for the reunion this Saturday.
That’s great! cheers
Seems to be alot of interest in the Bubbles Night. I will be there as I am one of the djays on the bill !. Can’t wait to play some of the old soul standards that were the staple of any 17 year old Mod in the 80s!
Suited N booted ! of course or as most mod clubs running at the time.
No greens or jeans!
Hi Conor
Any idea where the photo in the article came from.
Hi Garry, I picked it up on the web, but I can’t remember where. Sorry.
I was one of the blokes who set up La Scene Club at the CIE Hall along with Peter Sheils.
Remember Tommy Dunnes well. I still have an original poster advertisiing the Commotion at Tommy Dunnes and a tape of the band recorded live at Tommy Dunnes. Taped crudely on a simple tape recorder but still probably one of the only live tapes from that era. Remember seeing the Scene there.
Anyone remember the tailor Des Breathnach´s across from Tommy Dunnes tavern? He kitted out many of the most fashionable mods at the time in tailormade suits.
Ken
A facebook page has been set up for the Mood Club so join up and share some memories.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/265670076832670/
All the best.
Colm