Self Aid Concert

[Dougal Maguire]

There's nothing I like more, after coming home from a night out, than watching the Self Aid Concert on YouTube. Highlights for me are In Tua Nua, Clannad, Cactus World News and Bagatelle.

[Shamrock Shore]

I didn't go that day to the RDS as I had a driving lesson in Longford.

It was a mixed bag of goods so I never had the need to go looking for it on YouTube.
May do so now for old time sake.

Thanks for this Dougal.

[From the Bunker]

Where did all the money go from Self-Aid? I mean what were they gathering the money for in the first place? Seems a rather silly concept now? I suppose in the days before The Trip to Tipp it gave the youth a day out to see different Bands and Artists.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Landed home from it about 12 o'clock the next day to find out I was making my club championship debut two hours later.

[weareros]

Where did all the money go from Self-Aid? I mean what were they gathering the money for in the first place? Seems a rather silly concept now? I suppose in the days before The Trip to Tipp it gave the youth a day out to see different Bands and Artists.

Unemployment was sky high then. Seemed a pretty hopeless time for many to have any chance of a career in Ireland. Many knew they had no option but enforced emigration. Wasn't really the money, more so trying to restore some self confidence.

[RedHand88]

15minute sets? Did they just play 3songs and leave? I take it there was no setup between acts?

[From the Bunker]

Where did all the money go from Self-Aid? I mean what were they gathering the money for in the first place? Seems a rather silly concept now? I suppose in the days before The Trip to Tipp it gave the youth a day out to see different Bands and Artists.

Unemployment was sky high then. Seemed a pretty hopeless time for many to have any chance of a career in Ireland. Many knew they had no option but enforced emigration. Wasn't really the money, more so trying to restore some self confidence.

Ah, it was still a bit nonsensical. But I suppose people got to get a day out and no harm was done.

[Baile Brigín 2]

15minute sets? Did they just play 3songs and leave? I take it there was no setup between acts?

Basically yes.

Even if they gave up their time for free, they still flew Chris Rea,the Pogues and Elvis Costello plus band and stuck them up for 15m each. Bonkers, but the idea Dublin could pull it off was the point. As said above it was about confidence

[Harold Disgracey]

The only act I can remember clearly was In Tua Nua and to a lesser extent Cactus World News. Leslie Dowdall was something else back then.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

15minute sets? Did they just play 3songs and leave? I take it there was no setup between acts?

Basically yes.

Even if they gave up their time for free, they still flew Chris Rea,the Pogues and Elvis Costello plus band and stuck them up for 15m each. Bonkers, but the idea Dublin could pull it off was the point. As said above it was about confidence

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think it was about confidence, or at least not primarily.  Wasn't the idea that we could raise money (a la Live Aid) to fix our problems in terms of unemployment?   It came fairly soon after Live Aid, and we were one of the highest per capita donors to that, so I think the idea was that we could tap into that charitable instinct to raise money to lift ourselves out of the 80s depression.

[Cunny Funt]

Just home from the spending enyoyable weekend at Forest Fest. Three of that Self Aid line up played in it. Paul Brady, Tua Nua, Stockton Wings and were among the stand outs. Paul Brady said its his last gig for a while as at 76 years young deserves an extended break

[armaghniac]

I wonder what would people have said back then if you had said that now there would be jobs for everyone and that people would still be endlessly complaining?

[weareros]

15minute sets? Did they just play 3songs and leave? I take it there was no setup between acts?

Basically yes.

Even if they gave up their time for free, they still flew Chris Rea,the Pogues and Elvis Costello plus band and stuck them up for 15m each. Bonkers, but the idea Dublin could pull it off was the point. As said above it was about confidence

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think it was about confidence, or at least not primarily.  Wasn't the idea that we could raise money (a la Live Aid) to fix our problems in terms of unemployment?   It came fairly soon after Live Aid, and we were one of the highest per capita donors to that, so I think the idea was that we could tap into that charitable instinct to raise money to lift ourselves out of the 80s depression.

It was certainly a fundraiser and jobs were pledged but with unemployment at over 17% in 1986, that was more idealism from the music community. But the spirit was important. At that time, it was not uncommon to see a Saint Patrick's Day float in every little town with the words: "America has Ronald Reagan, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope. Ireland has Charlie/Garrett, No Cash and No Hope." Socially too we were backward, the divorce referendum failed that year. The year before half the country were out chasing moving statues. Church still ruled the roost. There wasn't much sign in sight that things would change. That said, a lot of little towns had their own self aid concerts too. We had one and I remember a band from Longford, a crowd of young leaving cert students, called Medulla Oblongata taking the makeshift stage, dressed like U2, and launching into Sunday Bloody Sunday, which they proceeded to butcher. But U2 were the biggest band in the world, Geldof had launched BandAid/Live Aid and there was a new movement happening, modern Ireland was starting to emerge and a new confidence. 1988 was probably its official beginning when we beat England or maybe it was later in the 1990s when Celtic Tiger emerged and divorce referendum passed. But those were interesting times. 

[J70]

15minute sets? Did they just play 3songs and leave? I take it there was no setup between acts?

Basically yes.

Even if they gave up their time for free, they still flew Chris Rea,the Pogues and Elvis Costello plus band and stuck them up for 15m each. Bonkers, but the idea Dublin could pull it off was the point. As said above it was about confidence

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think it was about confidence, or at least not primarily.  Wasn't the idea that we could raise money (a la Live Aid) to fix our problems in terms of unemployment?   It came fairly soon after Live Aid, and we were one of the highest per capita donors to that, so I think the idea was that we could tap into that charitable instinct to raise money to lift ourselves out of the 80s depression.

It was certainly a fundraiser and jobs were pledged but with unemployment at over 17% in 1986, that was more idealism from the music community. But the spirit was important. At that time, it was not uncommon to see a Saint Patrick's Day float in every little town with the words: "America has Ronald Reagan, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope. Ireland has Charlie/Garrett, No Cash and No Hope." Socially too we were backward, the divorce referendum failed that year. The year before half the country were out chasing moving statues. Church still ruled the roost. There wasn't much sign in sight that things would change. That said, a lot of little towns had their own self aid concerts too. We had one and I remember a band from Longford, a crowd of young leaving cert students, called Medulla Oblongata taking the makeshift stage, dressed like U2, and launching into Sunday Bloody Sunday, which they proceeded to butcher. But U2 were the biggest band in the world, Geldof had launched BandAid/Live Aid and there was a new movement happening, modern Ireland was starting to emerge and a new confidence. 1988 was probably its official beginning when we beat England or maybe it was later in the 1990s when Celtic Tiger emerged and divorce referendum passed. But those were interesting times.

Homosexuality was still several years from being decriminalized. It was around that time that they allowed people to buy contraceptives without prescription, a few years after it had been legalized. Ireland was still a sick, repressed, grim society, but at least things were starting to look a little brighter.

[seafoid]

The only act I can remember clearly was In Tua Nua and to a lesser extent Cactus World News. Leslie Dowdall was something else back then.

In Tua Nua were  on Radio 1 last week.