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A message from Rea!

Reamonn & Status Quo

"Part 1" of a two part story

At the start of my career when I was looking for studio time to record in Dublin I knew it wouldn’t be easy. The cost of a studio was well outside my financial reach but as my Dad would say “there’s no harm in asking!”

I walked around the streets of Dublin looking for someone to take me in, someone to turn on a light and make it all seem worthwhile. Studios are very simple institutions they need musicians and money to survive so their charity work is limited. I decided not to stay within my boundaries having accepted that I wasn’t going to be recording for sometime and set about going to the best studios in the city just to be within their four walls.

Although I am talented in the art of verbal persuasion, something that the music industry unlike any other industry has perfected is the “Iron Curtain receptionist!” These sometimes unmistakeable or sometimes non-descript ladies all have one thing in common, they don’t care what you’re selling because they’re not buying it!!

I stood in the entrance of a few studios and didn’t get passed the buzzer but one studio I do remember well, - Windmill Lane. Now being the most expensive studio in town there was less than a little chance that I was going to get past the kerb let a lone the buzzer not to mention the “Iron Curtain” but for some reason when you have next to nothing you have even less to lose.

Realising that the normal approach wasn’t going to work I needed the helping hand of faith. I wanted this so I had to believe I was going to get it! I walked to the front door, which swung out in front of me! A band was loading out their equipment and every door leading to the #1 Studio in Ireland just seemed to open before me. I picked up an instrument and continued walking until I was in the control room of Studio 1 where there was a hive of activity. I dropped the guitar and started to calmly make my way back to the reception area before being asked “Who are you?” and hearing “Intruder!!” being screamed at a very high pitch! In the reception area I walked up to the “Iron Curtain” who seemed to be nicer now that I was walking from the inside out rather from the outside in.

“Are ye booked up for next week?” I asked calmly.

“Yes we’re booked solid for the next two months” she replied.

“Who’s in?” I volleyed back.

“Who are you?” she asked I was now nearing check point Charlie!

“Just enquiring, hoping to do some recording with a band this year.” I tried to stay confident. As I continued my act I saw a logo on the side of an old guitar case being wheeled into the live room, “Status Quo”

Knowing who was going to be here for the next while told me the one thing I told the receptionist “Doesn’t matter.  I don’t think I can afford the rates here anyway. Thanks for your time!” and I was out the door knowing that I had been closer to fame than I was earlier that day.

I never met the band but I crossed their path and now I am crossing it again. The shows with Quo are fantastic, their audience have been great to us and we’ve sold out all our CDs in less than three shows. As I told a shortened version of this story on the stage the other night it dawned on me that somewhere in the hall was probably the same case I saw back then in Dublin. Sometimes you carry around information like extra baggage and sometimes it is just “Part 1” of a two-part story!

Thanks for reading

God Bless

Rea