Thanks once again to Des for the interview! Just a week ago I interviewed him about This Certain Kind, a superb jangly band from Dublin who had just released a retrospective album on Firestation. But he was also in another terrific Irish band, The Cherry Brogues, about whom I wrote on the blog on the past. Now finally I get to know the story of the band through one of their members!
++ Hi Des! Thanks so much for being up for another interview! How are you? Are there any up and coming music news with you?
I’m fine thanks and thank you, its great to be asked to do another interview. Recently I’ve been busy in the studio going through all The Cherry Brogues recordings, sorting them out and cleaning them up ( audio upholstery). We have also been working hard on the 2nd of the 3 unrecorded songs that This Certain Kind found when we were sifting through our catalogue of Demo and session tapes as well so there might be an EP to follow our release. We shall see !!
++ Last time we talked about This Certain Kind. What would you say were the differences and similarities between both them and The Cherry Brogues?
The two bands were a bit different in how they went about writing songs if I remember. This Certain Kind had a more laid-back approach while The Cherry Brogues was a bit more intense, Either way the same result was achieved don’t get me wrong just the process was a little different. The two bands had very similar musical influences though which was great and that always managed to filter through in the music.
++ What about the rest of The Cherry Brogues members, had they been in other bands? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
No not really. The Cherry Brogues was the starting point. It was the first band that the lads were in. They formed in 1990 I’m told.
++ How was Clondalkin at the time of The Cherry Brogues? Had Dublin changed much from the time of The Cherry Brogues to This Certain Kind? Were there any bands that you liked at this time period? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
The Cherry Brogues always had great homegrown support in Clondalkin with pubs like The Lock and Key. The Laurels and The Steering Wheel all very happy to have the band play there.
Unlike This Certain Kind the band didn’t really play in The Dublin Underground as much but did bring a loyal local fanbase with them any time they played the larger venues like The Rock Garden or Whelans which were harder to fill and could look bad for you if you didn’t, The Cranberries were playing in The Rock Garden around the same time we were so that was nice to have seen them back then.
Keltic Posse, The Brilliant Trees,The Power of Dreams these were other top bands that were filling the place at the time.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
The band started in 1990. The four members from Clondalkin all knew each other from school and the area and pretty much grew up together. I had met the lead vocalist Ray Gilligan as he was doing DJ duties for a girlfriend of mine he said he had a band and they had released a single but that they were in the throws of auditioning for a second guitarist but weren’t having much luck and that I should give it a go and that was how I joined them at the start of ’93.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
The creative process was a bit strange for me to begin with as this was the first time to be in a band in which I didn’t really know anybody. Ray Murray (lead guitar) was a joy to work with as he had no problem sharing whatever guitar parts either of us wanted to play. The ego’s were dissolved and we just got on with it. The band worked very well together and we used to rehearse in a place called Ormond Studios. It was an old disused print factory that had been converted into a rehearsal studio.
++ What’s the story behind the band’s name?
I’m told it came about when one day some of the members of the band were standing around wearing ox-blood colour Dr Martin shoes and a friend of theirs from the area who was passing by commented ” Dig The Cherry Brogues Lads” He may have got the shoe description wrong but that’s how the band chose the name !
++ And I have to ask, did any of you had cherry brogues shoes?
Funny you should ask but yes I did own a pair once with Dr Martin soles but that was years before I ever joined the band though !!
++ Who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
There were a good few: The Housemartins, The Jam, Squeeze, The Smiths, The Blades, Joe Jackson, The Buzzcocks. The band was described as having a New wave – Indie Rock sound with a bit of Jangle in there too !!
++ I remember The Cherry Brogues from the Myspace days and I remember there were many songs uploaded there that wasn’t included in the record you released. Where do these came from? Demo tapes?
Yes the songs you would have seen on there would have come from different studio recordings that were done over the four year life span of the band. Mainly Demos but we do have a few nice quality live recordings as well.
++ How many recording sessions did you do? Being in The Cherry Brogues, was it the first time you went to a recording studio ever? Or had you had experience before in the past?
I recorded on around (8 – 10) Cherry Brogues Studio Tracks. I think there is one or two in there that were re recordings of previous songs though that were fine anyway ..so maybe 8 is closer the mark!!
I had recorded a couple of times with This Certain Kind before that so I was at home in the studio it was cool.
++ What do you remember from the recording session for the single? Who produced the songs?
The single ” She Makes Me Nervous” was recorded in Slane Studios and was produced by a guy called John Dee. I wasn’t a part of The Cherry Brogues at that time so i cant really comment but I will say that I had recorded before
in that same studio a few times so that was a bit of a coincidence.
++ Your one and only release came out on C.G.B.G. Records. Who were behind this label? Does the acronym mean anything? And how was your relationship with them?
Hmmm don’t quote me on this but I’m told that the C.B.G.B has some religious reference to it and I think the initials were chosen for good luck. I’m told there is also a club in New York with a similar acronym / motto above their door. The Cherry Brogues were behind the label as it was an independent release and it reached Number 28 in the Irish Charts which was very good for debut single.
++ Tell me about the photo that appears on the record cover. Where was it taken do you know?
The photo was taken in a very popular tourist spot in Dublin City called Temple Bar. Its the same street and just a few doors down from The Rock Garden where we used to play. The two people on the cover are Tina Rodgers (the drummers sister) and Brian Murray (the guitarists brother).
++ And how come during your time didn’t you release any more records? Was there interest from labels to put your music out?
The answer to that would have to be money. It was so expensive to put your own record out at that time without any backing from any source. The band members were only first or second year apprentices so the wages were low and musical equipment was pricey too. Most of the labels were still out looking for the next U2 so that was never going to be us.
++ Aside from this release you had a song on a compilation called “Break Records Present…. 100% Irish ’93”. This was released by Break Records obviously. How did you end up on that CD?
We got asked to put a song on that album by way of IMRO which is the Irish Music Rights Organisation. We had worked along side them doing many showcase gigs and they were quite familiar with us. The album was made
in conjunction with them so I guess that’s how that happened. It got us some more airplay on the radio so that was great !!
++ There was a Fanning Session you recorded in 1992. Did you meet with Dave Fanning? How was that experience? And what were the songs that were recorded for this session?
The Cherry Brogues had won a battle of the bands in Dublin a few months before the Fanning Session and Dave was a Judge on that panel so he met the band and he was asked if he could help them get a recording session for his popular Radio show. So I guess he must have put in a good word or two with the producers 🙂
I joined the band a few months after so I cant comment on the experience of the day but I can tell you that an extra live secret track was also recorded called ” Hot for You”. Its a cover by a great Dublin band called The
Blades. The producer and sound engineer Ian Wilson asked the band if they would do it as it was in our set. Dave Fanning wasn’t in studio during the recording of the four songs which were – Just Like Saturday, Not Unlike Michigan and Options 1 2 3.
++ And are there more recordings by the band? Unreleased tracks?
There were lots of recordings done over the four years so at present I am trying to catalogue them and filter out the weaker quality ones .. of the tracks that were unreleased we have about 16 high quality so far that I
can see but there are still a few more to process..
++ Have you ever thought of putting them together in a retrospective release?
It would definitely be nice to do that .. but for now though its still a work in progress as they say!!
++ I think my favourite song of yours might as well be “Numbers in Your Heart”, wondering if you could tell me what inspired this song? What’s the story behind it?
I’m told its about someone looking into another persons heart and instead of seeing emotion all they see is numbers in other words someone who is calculated and cold hearted.
++ If you were to choose your favorite Storsegel song, which one would that be and why?
My personal favourite is a track called “Hangover “. I like it because it has a rich flowing chord structure that really catches your ear and lyrics that are simple and very descriptive. This one was totally made for my Rickenbacker lol 🙂 It was written by the bass player and guitarist.
++ What about gigs? Did you play many?
We did lots of gigs. One of the things that stood out for me was how hard we worked. Between rehearsals / gigs and recording sessions, I don’t know how many we did but looking back it felt like we had a gig to do nearly
every other week. We had two managers Danny and Paul who’s job it was to set them up for us !!
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
This is an easy one for me really as I remember we did two gigs in one day but on either side of Ireland, one in Limerick City and then back to Dublin to do the 2nd one that night. It was tough going but it gave us a taste of what life on the road was like. The 2nd gig was the biggest we did. It was in The
Tivoli Theatre to over 1000 people. It was an IMRO best of the best showcase night and we were the headline act. I will always remember that one.
Thanks too to the roadie from the Keltic Posse who drove us there and back that day as we nearly didnt make it!!
++ And were there any bad ones?
I had one bad one when the head got smashed off my guitar in the Rock Garden… but look that’s rock and roll for ya ..! ))
++ When and why did The Cherry Brogues stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
The band stopped in late 1994 as our guitarist had to leave to pursue his career over in England. The band tried to carry on but the vibe just wasn’t the same so we eventually called it a day. I went back and regrouped
with a new line up from my previous band This Certain Kind and I hit the ground running again so to speak.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Ray Gilligan (lead vocals) went on to form The Joseoph’s. Phil Healy (bass) and Joe Rodgers (drums) together went on to form a band called Polyteen with my brother Steve. Joe also played in a few more bands after that, Puppy Love Bomb and The Ground will Shake being the more recent.
++ Has there been any The Cherry Brogues reunion? There was one in 2011, right?
We dusted ourselves off and we did a weekend of reunion gigs in the summer of 2011. We played in the Grand Social in Dublin City and then we played outdoors in The Laurels in Clondalkin. It was packed outside to see us again after all that time and the loyal Clondalkin crowd turning up to see us yet again. It was great !!
++ And prior to that in 2009 you all went to the recording studio in 2009. Did you make new songs? What happened then?
Yes that’s right we went back in the studio to record an alternative version of one of the songs called “Two Ten” it should be up on you tube somewhere or maybe on our Facebook page !!
++ Did you get much attention from the radio? TV?
Recently one of our songs was used during the closing credits on a TV music documentary that went out on national television. It was called “My Tribe” and our song “weekend Teen” is played at the end of episode ( 2 ) so
that was pretty cool.
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
I think the press wrote a small piece or two about the band when the single went into the Irish charts.
++ What about from fanzines?
No not really but we did feature quite regularly in the pages of gig guides and some music magazines if that’s the same I’m not sure.
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
I would say for me it would have to be playing to that packed audience of around 1000 people that night in the Tivoli Theatre. It made me think how nice it would be to play to that kind of a crowd every night !
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
I’d Just like to say thanks to you and to your readers its been a joy doing these interconnected interviews about The Cherry Brogues and This Certain Kind. Cheers and many Thanks
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