The pirate radio days of the 1980s played a central role in launching a whole host of new Irish artists on to the country circuit. These sprung up all around the country, mainly in response to the failure of RTÉ to provide an adequate service to the music scene at that time. Longford man Mick Flavin was among the singers who made a breakthrough during those days. Others from the same crop included Paddy O’Brien, Declan Nerney and John Hogan, all following on from those who had opened many doors in the 1960s and 1970s.
The pirate radio days of the 1980s played a central role in launching a whole host of new Irish artists on to the country circuit. These sprung up all around the country, mainly in response to the failure of RTÉ to provide an adequate service to the music scene at that time.
Longford man Mick Flavin was among the singers who made a breakthrough during those days. Others from the same crop included Paddy O’Brien, Declan Nerney and John Hogan, all following on from those who had opened many doors in the 1960s and 1970s.
Travellin’ to Flavin became a catch-phrase at the time and many will recall the small posters attached to polls up and down the country in a major publicity campaign to showcase the arrival of Mick and his band.
Wild Flowers Don’t Care Where They Grow became his first sizeable hit. The emphasis was more on straight country, a genre that Mick was familiar with growing up in the midlands. The pirate stations gave his albums extensive exposure and soon he was packing venues around Ireland.
Longford has long been a heartland of country music, so Mick Flavin never had far to wander. People like Larry Cunningham, Chuck Owens and Dermot Hegarty were just some of those who blazed the country trail. Declan Nerney and Noel Cassidy were also digging deep in the country mines. It was easy for Mick to feel at home in such an environment.
Two of his most popular and enduring songs over the years have been Maria’s Heading Out To California and The Old School Yard. Not a night goes by without requests coming in for those numbers.
The annual Mick Flavin and Friends Weekend returns to the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris this Friday to Sunday, 11-13 September.
“This is our eighth year running the event and many of our loyal followers have been with us each year. The format is along the regular lines where we have a guest band perform on the show each night.
“We will open on Friday night between 10pm and midnight and then Gerry Guthrie and his band will play until 2am. We have young Shane Owens and his band opening on Saturday night at 10pm and we will be on stage at midnight for the next two hours. We are also playing an afternoon show on Sunday between 3pm and 5pm and that will bring the curtains down on the weekend,” says Mick.
All shows are open to the public and admission is €15 on Friday and Saturday but just €10 for the Sunday afternoon.
Mick and the band did a series of dates in England last weekend and were very pleased with the response.
“The UK scene is working well for us again,” says Mick. “You always meet some great people over there. “We are also delighted to welcome Kevin Logue to our band. Kevin is from Bawnboy in Co Cavan and is a fine singer-songwriter and guitar player. He has his own song, Born To Run, on release just now, and he is getting a great response from the dancers.”
The Mick Flavin Dancing Weekend, with guests Gerry Guthrie and Shane Owens and their bands, takes place in Claremorris from 11-13 September.
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