whoareyou

steve iredale

MARK CUNNINGHAM MEETS STEVE IREDALE AT HIS HOME TO DISCUSS HIS CAREER WITH KINGS, , AND ROCK GODS ... AND HOW THE END OF AN ERA CAME TO PASS.

In the early '70s, was in the middle of a social exciting and very different and, compared to what we as Iredale recalls: "It caused a bit of a problem because revolution. Whereas Elvis, Buddy Holly, Cliff & The were seeing regularly where I was growing up, they the way the migration of the audience went, this Shadows and The Beatles had given the youth of were a huge change." became an obstruction. There’s absolutely no way America and Britain an identity and, at last, a voice, Irish By the mid-'70s, Iredale had progressed from you’d get away with it now under the health and safety teenagers had every right to feel they were behind the being a fan to actually working with Horslips. How did regulations, putting a barrier halfway down the hall. We times. It wasn't until the turn of the '70s that Ireland that develop? "Through being a nuisance, really," he ended up walling the console in with flight cases, like a gave birth to its own exportable rock'n'roll talent, in the says. "Articles had been written about their famous sort of Fort Apache!" shape of Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy and Horslips — a Bedford truck with a big fist on the front [from the The band gave Iredale his first experience of band who pioneered the fuzion of rock with traditional cover of their seminal 1973 , The Táin], and the touring America. "I went to the States in my first year Celtic folk and produced a series of seminal that band travelled in a Range Rover, which all sounded with Horslips and that was unbelievable, just arriving in have remained cult classics ever since. very exotic to me. They came into town with six or New York, getting off the plane and going into Someone who experienced this revolution first- eight guys, including Robbie McGrath and Martin Manhattan, and the next day being given the keys of a hand, and later became part of it, was a young Steve Mulligan, with big beards, moustaches, long hair, flares van and told to go to New Jersey to pick up new Iredale — who started life as a music fan and grew to and tie-dyed shirts, and I wanted to hang out with backline. I had to learn very quickly. become one of the most respected production them, so I offered to help load equipment. “Things we take for granted, like power, were big managers and touring consultants in the business. "I didn’t leave school until 1977, but in the couple considerations once you crossed the Atlantic. Plus, you Through his sister-in-law's record collection and of years leading up to then, my main objective during drove hundreds of miles before gigs, and got no sleep, furtive listening to Radio Luxembourg, Iredale gained any summer holidays from that point on was to go and but it was a fantastic way to learn this business." his first exposure to rock and pop music. Around late see them in as many places as possible, and help them 1972, a friend played him a new track by Horslips, out." NEW BLOOD called 'Furniture', setting Iredale's imagination alight. Eventually, Iredale was offered a full-time job, Iredale's experiences with Horslips are detailed in a "Horslips' thing was to integrate traditional tunes initially as a backline technician, then later as the FOH new Maurice Linnane-directed DVD — The Return Of within their own original rock songs, and 'Furniture' was engineer. "They were nice, genuinely nice people and, The — that is released this an early example that featured ‘Ó Ró Sé do Bheath totally against my parents' wishes, I knew this was what autumn. After Horslips broke up in 1980, he toured Abhaile’ lurking in the background in the song. That’s I wanted to do for a living. So I joined the Horslips for most of a year with Zen Alligators, an outfit really when I got into music in a big, big way. I also got crew in the summer of '77. Back then, they had a founded by two break-away Horslips members. He into Mott the Hoople, who I still love to this day but I wonderful Midas board, a 19-2 console with two-band was then approached to work with a new, young never got to see them live because it was at a time parametric EQ, and it was previously owned by Dublin band who had recently scored high points with when bombs started to go off in Dublin, and all the Greenslade. The PA was a Martin 'building block' their debut album, Boy. British artists cancelled their dates. system that was a beast of a thing to carry anywhere!" "I got a call one night from Tim Nicholson, who "But Horslips were the ones that were most Horslips broke the mould in the Irish dancehalls by was the tour manager for U2 at the time, saying that accessible. They existed, they were Irish, they were taking the FOH control position midway down the hall, Barry Devlin [Horslips' bassist and later U2 video

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director] had been talking with Paul McGuinness and out what was going on. home. I do a lot of consultancy and corporate recommending that we have a chat with a possibility of "It was only last September that I managed to have production work from here in the outskirts of Dublin, getting involved with U2. Touring around Ireland wasn’t a discussion with Paul who said, ‘Well, we’re involved and it suits me fine. I’m involved with Coldplay in a appealing to me and the prospect of getting back to the with ClearChannel again and we’d like Jake to take the consultancy role, now that they're moving up to US again or touring Europe did appeal to me. I started tour forward — you’ve worked with Jake on the stadium status. Certainly if I liked the act, I would have with them as backline tech, and I took a huge cut in previous tour... would you have a problem with that?’. no hesitation in taking on a position as production wages. You also had the lottery of when you got paid “Accepting that I didn't have a problem, Paul told manager.” with U2 at that particular point, because they were me that my role would have to change. He said that broke... as hard to believe as that may be now! the band wanted me to project manage the European A RARE COUPLE "My first job for U2 was to go to Heuston Station leg, and put the outdoor project together, with the Iredale and his wife Sue (a.k.a. The Duchess) are, like in Dublin to pick up Joe O'Herlihy. I’ll never forget to proviso that I would need to clarify this with Jake. the Stickells and the Marshalls, among that rare breed this day Joe’s words: 'This is not your normal band’. I Unfortunately, Jake's appraisal of this situation differed of couples who have waved an influential wand over knew when he meant many years later and many and that’s where it all broke down. the live industry. They met in 1982 at a Lyceum show times in the future." “I went back to Paul, and he had Susan Hunter when Sue, part of the stage crew, informed Steve that As the '80s unfolded, he was putting a snare drum skin Iredale graduated from on badly! They met again three backline tech to stage years later at U2's The Longest manager, and then to the role “Touring America in the late Day gig at Milton Keynes and a of production manager. One ‘70s was a fantastic way to relationship grew from there. of the most productive learn this business...” The Iredales were finally married exercises he ever did, he 12 years ago. says, was to embark on a The Duchess now runs research project into the productions for Denis Desmond American production industry and his MCD shows in Ireland. in 1985, prior to The "She's very good at it as well, I Unforgettable Fire tour. must admit," says Mr. Iredale. "I went there not only to "Trying to keep 23 outdoor see what all the acts were shows in your head at the same doing at the time, but also to time and juggle them all is quite a check out what all the feat especially when some of the suppliers were doing, who shows have more than 80 acts. was doing the best work, and We just get on, and when we also analyse how venues happen to work together it’s coped with rock shows," he very productive, although there explains. "I was put into an have been a few fireworks when apprenticeship with Nocturne we have worked the opposite in San Francisco with Pat side of the fence. Morrow, Herbie Herbert and “The first ever Robbie Williams Benny Collins. Herbie was show I did was at Slane Castle managing Journey were using — it was his first-ever outdoor video as part of massive show and Sue was the productions, and they were promoter’s rep. It got so heated the first people to get into the 360° arena show. It’s [from Principle Management’s office] e-mail me to say that I had to change hotels. We both feel strongly something that appealed and when you actually look he would come back to me once he had a chance to about what we do and sometimes it clashed on that into the economics of what was going on, with that speak with Jake. I’m still waiting for the call from Paul. particular show!" 360° show and the possibility of generating an extra Losing the job wasn’t as bad as them not making that $1.5 million of income over the course of a tour, it phone call. After 23 years, it was very disappointing." LOOKING AHEAD certainly looked like the way to go. I spoke to Paul McGuinness about this situation Apart from the current Coldplay project, Iredale "Willie [Williams] liked the idea and between us and asked him to make comment. He told me: “Steve recently produced a live DVD and CD for Liam we sold the idea to Paul McGuinness who, in turn, sold is a wonderful professional — one of the best you O’Connor, a gifted traditional player in a one-off it to the band. To this day, U2 continue to do 360° would ever come across in the touring world. This is, performance with 13 other musicians in Killarney. At shows, and the people who probably saw the U2 however, largely a freelance industry and people come the start of 2005, he also teamed up with former U2 show in 1985 from behind the stage are the same and go. That kind of freedom is one of the most colleague Jake Kennedy to project manage the opening people who are watching it now in 2005." attractive things about it for a lot of people. U2 have ceremony of Cork’s 2005 European Capital of Culture often changed record producers and sometimes we go year. Next year is already looking busy as he looks END OF AN ERA back to them, as we’ve done with Steve Lillywhite. I’d forward to new projects with Tom Armstrong and U2's current Vertigo tour is the first in 23 years not to like to think that we’ll work with Steve Iredale again in Sightline Productions of Holland. benefit from Iredale's experience. His absence has the future.” Outside of the industry, Iredale's been busy raised many an eyebrow within the industry and In between U2 tours, and since his association coaching his son's Under-14 football team who won although a sensitive subject, I was keen to get his side with the band, Iredale has worked with a wide range of the Division One league in their age group. He has of the story. other artists and events. As well as working with also taken time out to embark on City & Guilds "Around 18 months ago, I made contact with the Prince, George Michael, Bon Jovi and Metallica, Iredale AutoCAD 2D and 3D courses which he hopes will U2 office to find out from Paul what the future held. I co-ordinated Woodstock in 1994 and has managed augment his already invaluable production skills. wanted to tie things down because I had a few various high-profile ceremonies and corporate events As we complete our chat over a pot of tea in his commitments coming up but my first preference was in Holland, as well as a string of top Irish projects. garden, Iredale, now 46, grins: "It's been a crazy old always to work with U2. Unfortunately, for whatever Robbie Williams' huge open-air shows in 2003 were life. I jumped from being a fan to a roadie and I'm still reason, we never managed to have that discussion. also aided by the Iredale touch. having a career... 28 years doing the same kind of Promises were made to have it later on, and later on, "What I currently do is designed to suit the thing. Not bad, really!" but it never happened. In July 2004, I’d heard that Jake lifestyle I now have. I like the fact that I can get tours Berry was already working on the tour and I hadn’t like Robbie Williams that last maybe three to six Photography by Mark Cunningham been contacted about this, so I decided to try and find months, which means I can spend a lot more time at

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