The Clock, Moville

Cahill has been tirelessly putting on good music at The Clock but the audiences have been a little sketchy – till last night.

In its heyday the Town Clock was always packed on Friday and Saturday nights, so much so that you often had to queue outside to get in.

Recession has hit, though, and the cost of late night licences has soared.

I was surprised to hear that The Clock had late licences for both the Saturday and Sunday night for this weekend.

Savage Henry

They had also booked a 5-piece band, Savage Henry.

Would their gamble come off?

Yes, in a big way!

It was like old times in The Clock last night with a big crowd to see the band.

They must have been delighted.

I have been going along to some of the Saturday night sessions earlier in the year to support it but sometimes there weren’t many more customers than staff and band members.

Kingston on Thames

I remember one time when I lived in Kingston on Thames in London that I went out to a pub with a girl from my office on a first date.

There was a band of punk rockers playing.

A top manager had been drafted in to the pub to increase trade and he decided bands in the back room, which had a stage, was a good idea.

I don’t know if it ever caught on – but it didn’t that night.

Band Played On

We were the only ones there – just the two of us. The band was playing just for us.

They were watching us too as we were the only people there. It was a bit awkward.

Clapping after every song was a bit awkward too.

As they were a punk band and this was the punk period they played very loud. The pub manager kept coming out to tell them to turn it down – but they turned it back up when he went away.

Eventually he came out with a snarling and barking German Shepherd in tow and they did keep it down.

After an awkward while we left too and went to another pub. It wasn’t perfect for a first date.

Perseverance Pays

It wasn’t quite as bad as that in The Clock but it’s great to see Cahill’s perseverance pay off.

They’ve got a late night licence as well tonight and a great band. It’s Paul Bredin and James McIvor of The Yetis and Cahill himself who used to play with Paul and James in Pablo and Red.

It should be a great night with a good crowd in The Clock.

May there be many more of them. The town’s not the same without a thriving Clock – and they’ll be in the BeatlesFest next weekend.