THE ERRATIC RABBIT – A True Story*
*True-ish.
At the time, I lived in a country area quaintly called "PottleBane" but don't ask me why it has such an unusual name because, basically, I don’t know. I had an old farmhouse which looked out onto lots of fields, hedges, and, in the distance, all one can see are naked farmers, green hillocks, and sheep.
I believe that because most of the land in this area is sitting on a gravel floor it makes excellent homes for all wild creatures, particularly rabbits and their ilk. Not Elk. That would be a different matter entirely. If I told you I looked out my window everyday and saw naked farmers, green hillocks and Elk, then hey, you just wouldn't believe me.
Any morning as I drive to work I startle up to twenty or thirty rabbits over the mile and a half of country lanes before I hit the main thoroughfare to Dublin.
The strangest thing happened one morning. As I was driving down this country lane trying to stuff my shirt into my trousers, fasten my safety belt, and put on my aftershave simultaneously, a rabbit carrying a placard walked out in front of me. The placard said "STOP". In bold capitals.
I slammed on my brakes all the while rapidly thinking. " ok...ok a rabbit has just walked out in front of me...it’s carrying a sign which says stop and I am definitely awake". The spaces between my neural synapses had extended exponentially. You could have heard a neuron drop within the empty shell of my cranium.
As I screeched to a halt inches away from the creature, I actually thought I'd hit it and was cursing my brakes and those aforementioned synapse response times, you know, the way one does in similar situations. I reversed the car slightly expecting to see a little red stain on the road but to my surprise the rabbit was still sitting there. With it's little ‘STOP’ sign. Which of course, luckily for the rabbit, I had.
Stunned, I got out of my car, its an old car, a Volkswagen, it needed a new exhaust, I'd like a better car but there you have it, I had more immediate things to consider. I smiled broadly and thought what a really life like rabbit this was. Its fur looked real, its eyes and ears looked real and those little black lumps behind it also looked real. I'd better get those brakes checked I thought.
I looked around expecting a TV crew to burst forth from the bushes and make me look a right fool in front of millions of people. So, smiling like an idiot, I looked around, hands on my hips, one of my shirt flaps sticking out, smelling of Armani, which I noticed was leaving a big but quite attractively smelling stain on my shirt around the bellybutton area. I couldn't see anyone. Except the rabbit.
“Ok ok “ I murmured to myself and no one in particular.. ”...this...this is just brilliant, like, you really got me...here I am stopped on a road in the middle of nowhere...with a rabbit who looks to be auditioning for a union walkout…yes, I'm really impressed…you can come out now…I think I've looked foolish enough…” then speaking to the silence around me, "when will this be broadcast…so I can plan to be out of the country...".
Nothing. The wind breezed around my open fly and some leaves in a nearby hedge rustled gently. Out of the blue just as I was watching its nose twitch, a sound which came from the general direction of this woodland creature broke the silence.
" Hi there"
The rabbit spoke.
Still in a state of perpetuated amazement, I strained my eyes to get a closer look at the creature hoping to see a miniature microphone and speaker attached somewhere which would reassure me this was an outlandish prank of Steven Spielberg proportions.
"I do wish you wouldn't stare" said the rabbit as I moved back a couple of steps. Jesus! Not only did it speak, it bloody spoke well! Did I detect a touch of the old received pronunciation in its voice? Ooooh posh.
I countered. “ Eh yes...eh...hi to eh you too..." then turning to the presumed invisible audience "aw come on now who the feck is doing this..?”, noticing a bird had shit on my car roof, the little bastard. It was mocking me.
The rabbit began to tut. "…tut tut…" it said.
Ok, I thought, let's play along with this . "Er...hello Mr Rabbit....". Real matter of fact now.
" actually...it's Miss...". Oh? Ohhh!
"Look" I said " I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with what we have here. I mean you are a rabbit right?..."
"Correct…"
" and I am not dreaming ..."
"Correct…"
"And I certainly do not remember ingesting any halucinatory substances whilst eating my muesli this morning...". (Visions of my wife trying to poison me, again, filled up my think screen for a fleeting moment. I dismissed the fact that last nights mushroom casserole was made with anything less than Tesco’s Finest fungus).
The rabbit confirmed my thoughts.
"You’re not dreaming. However, although I can't comment on your muesli, you do look quite pale, your pupils are dilated and you seem to be sweating". Gulp!
I spoke, or rather, spluttered. "You know…I'm…ehm, I'm finding this quite weird you know...I mean I am well known for telling really, I mean really, grossly exaggerated stories, lies basically...but no one, and I mean no one, will believe this. A talking rabbit, 50 miles from Dublin?? You see...if you'd been a talking statue or the Virgin Mary there'd have been no problems, I'd be on The Late Late Show in a week…but…ehm…at this stage I'm a candidate for the asylum…y'see most rabbits we know of, do not speak...that it is...normally...”
I paused for a moment of reflection. I even considered prayer (“Our Bruce, who art in New Jersey, hallowed be thy Telecaster …”).
WHAAAAT am I doing?? My inner monolog took over. I am holding a converstaion with a rabbit in the middle of the shaggin' road...I must be out of my mind.. I slapped my forehead. Twice. Hard. Then I slapped it again, just to make sure. Yep, still hurt.
The rabbit continued to speak.
“ No, not quite out of your mind, but if you have any children I'd certainly consider genetic investigation for their future mental wellbeing…but let me explain?”. My newly found rabbit acquaintance glanced towards the grass verge. “Perhaps you would like to sit over there on that large stone while I fill you in on a few things”.
The rabbit pointed towards a large granite rock which had possibly fallen off the back of a truck. Or had been deposited by a passing UFO, at this stage all options were wide open.
Stunned, shocked and moments away from a potential desire to change my underwear, I moved slowly in balletic movements over to the large stone at the edge of the road. I sat down. The rabbit began.
It crossed its arms and put a paw to its tiny cheek. "Well maybe instead of me going on ten to the dozen you might like to ask ME some questions...?"
“ Eh…ok...well yes…what are you…?”. Silly question.
" A rabbit....". Touché.
Making a slightly ingratiating attempt at normalcy, I asked “Do you have a name?”
“Yes, it's Bobsy Cottontail…techincally speaking I am part of the Leporidae classification, although my absolute genus is Oryctolagus”
My mind was racing and I had fleeting mental images of my Leaving Cert Latin class. And it didn't make sense. But then it didn't make any sense back then either.
“Yes, yes I know you're a feckin' rabbit, but, but, what ARE you...some space alien or something...?"
The rabbit tried to hide a sly smile. "Hmm…I think you've been watching too many movies...". This rabbit not only spoke but possibly harbored pretensions on presenting a movie review podcast. Bobsy continued as saliva dribbled down the side of my mouth.
"You see it started 5 years ago when I was a humble little bunny hopping around eating grass to my hearts content. Then one day I ate something slightly dodgy. It did terrible things to my system, I became unconscious and woke up in what I now know to have been a laboratory. Well, first they put me on a cigarette testing machine which I got to enjoy so much they took me off that particular experiment. I was then introduced to a weird dude in a white coat who stuck a needle in me and filled me full of genetic goo. I gradually cast off my rabbit like habits, I mean I only have sex about fifteen times a day now and I feel so much better for it, and thus I had more energy to start developing my brain power."
This was too much like cheap sci-fi and I started checking around me for signs of a possible time warp intervention. Nope, the grass was still growing, the clouds were still moving and the rabbit kept on talking.
"Soon my thinking became more formalized and as my inner consciousness became more laterally developed I decided I wanted to get out of the lab and go see the world...". She wanted to travel? This was some cogniscent little animal. She should be on TV I thought to myself. Wonder if she has an agent?
In a vain attempt to remain lucid I asked her
“ Where was this lab? ” I was getting more emotionally involved with the story " …and how did you escape"?
“...the lab was in a secret research centre in the wilds of Ballyjamesduff ...”. Images of ‘Do Not Enter’ signs appeared in my brain, just like the ones on the border line between Meath and Cavan.
Images of the meat factory sprang to mind, Jesus it must be a cover up. I thought of a Ballyjamesduffian friend of mine. I shrugged my shoulders and thought, well, that actually explains quite a lot.
"…as for escaping, simple, I used my feminine charms and seduced a lab technician..."
“ Wait? Whaaat! how on Gods earth did you do that?”. I took a beat. "Hold on. Actually, no thanks, I don't think I want to know..."
She winked. "...are you sure?"
I grimaced. " ...positive..."
" Hey…” she winked again “did anyone ever tell you, you’re kinda cute? If you took off those glasses and were a bit taller you wouldn't be too bad at all...I could even lend you some fur for your head?". Ah now hold on, this was getting personal.
Here I was, in the middle of nowhere, 6.30am in the morning, being seduced by a talking rabbit.
" Thank you" I said " I'm very flattered and all of that but, but I really don't think it would work..."
Another wink. "...you never know 'till you try..."
Another grimace. " ...no honest… er, let’s er, yeah, let’s just stay friends..."
She countered. "What about you and me going over to those bushes over there, they don't call me Thumper for nothing you know..."
"STOP!!! Please!...I do not want to have any kind of amorous relationship with a bloody RABBIT!!…"
Suddenly, and with the strength of a small dog, the rabbit grabbed the leg of my trousers and tried to pull me into the ditch. Feck, it had been a trap all along, I was being kidnapped or, technically speaking, possibly rabbit napped.
"Hey get away ...leave my leg alone " I hissed at the amorous creature. Jesus I thought, if only I could have the same effect on women of my own species. The rabbit persisted until suddenly from nowhere I found the strength to swing my leg and heaved the rabbit, who had been clinging to my shoe, over the ditch along the side of the road.
"...you baaaastaaaard!! ...you men are all the saaaame..." were the last words I heard from my furry little friend.
Quickly I turned around, jumped into my car through the open window, nearly breaking my back, my expansive stomach saving me from further bruising, and I sped away. My mind was in utter turmoil, what should I do, where should I go?
As I drove into the Gardai barracks in Kells I knew, or at least I had a fair idea, about what kind of reception I was going to get.
" What?? " said the large Seargent standing behind the highly polished counter top " …you want to report an attempted assault by a…rabbit…?"
I was wide eyed. "Yes, yes but it was no ordinary rabbit honest, it…it could talk and it knew about science fiction..and, and the meat factory in Balla'duff is really a government research centre...and…and…to be honest, it was probably more of an attempted abduction really...and..."
Holding up his hand, just like he was on a traffic stop investigating expired insurance, NCT or tax discs, he spoke with enough gusto to indicate he wanted me to shut up. So I did.
" Excuse me Sir I think I've heard enough...", then he whispered, conspiratorially.
" ...if I was you, I'd go through that door over there” he pointed with a large thick finger ”…and get in your veh-hicle before I put you in a cell to enable you to sober off ...ok?", he was trying to frighten me, and it was working.
Speaking louder, and closing the open file on his desk…
"Now Sir is that all I can be helping you with this fine morning?" Rhetorical question, the swine, sounding much like a character actor off the set of the ‘Quiet Man’.
" Good. Now watch your way as you go, and Sir...." slight pause, "...everything in moderation...g'bye now...".
Thank you and feck ya.
So, there you have it. I know the story sounds far fetched and even goes way beyond the realms of my normal lies and made up escapades. As I had said to the rabbit, I didn't think anyone was going to believe me.
I still travel the same road into work every morning but never without my mugger alarm and an aerosol tin of pepper spray, sourced from the dark web. Years have passed and I never saw the rabbit again. But sometimes in my darker moments I wonder if things had been different would there have been a chance for us? Could there have been a happy ending?
Although I can no longer eat lettuce, this trauma hasn't really had any long lasting negative effect on my life. The only thing I can attribute to this sorry tale is the rising lust I feel when I see Bugs Bunny dressed up or disguised as a girl bunny. I can't even begin to tell you about the impact of hearing the words 'Jessica Rabbit'.
I have to hope these disturbing feelings will completely fade in time and that Miss Cottontail and I were just, in essence, passing ships in the night (or early morning as it was). I often think of her at night time as I lay awake looking at the stars (I must get that roof fixed). Did she ever find true love? Maybe she hopped back into the arms of that lab technician? Cavan men are not known to be fussy. Maybe she's training an army of sentient rabbits who will rise up one day and demand no wobbly carrots or out of date lettuce from the veg section at the local supermarket.
As I look out across the fields at the naked farmers (there seems to be more of them now than there were a few years ago, probably something to do with the EU), the green hillocks and the sheep, in my heart of hearts I wish her well and hope she finds Velveteen Rabbit love somewhere.
May your god bless you Miss Cottontail, travel well.
Once Upon A Story...
Born back in the dark ages of time in Lancashire, England, the Artist Formerly Known As Sebastian the Mule Kicker was moved to the Emerald Isle in the mid 70's (not HIS mid 70's, the actual 1970's - ask your parents) by his parents Mildred and Bartholemew McGrawwwp (No relation to the McGrawwwps of Letterkenny).
Settling initially in the conurbation that was Navan, Co Meath, now home to the world famous Monastery built underground and only accessible by teleportation, young Carry's migration continued to the nearby town of Kells, home of his father, and his fathers father and his fathers fathers father ( I think you get it).
Married at 14 with 7 children, two of whom were older than he was, things looked mighty bleak for this prodigious but humble young mans future. So, scooping up the family (he has big hands) he moved all, and Sundry (the transgender family dog and primary breadwinner), to the shores of the lost incontinent of Atlantis.
On arriving and but ultimately now realising that Atlantis didn't actually exist, he disapointedly took a taxi (don't ask) and moved the family further West to Amerikay. They travelled to the hidden state of Oming. Missing their collection of rare pasta, every night, in despair, the children would ask of their father "why Daddy? Why? Why Oming?.
After 25 years living in a tree (but it was a nice tree) and learning to play the spoons (to Grade VIII) the ultra reclusive songstrel sold all his children to the owner of a local tin mine. Thus with a small profit in hand, and with his partner in crime, Muriel, at his side, decided to hire a private plane to fly back to Ireland.
However! Disaster!! The plane was SO private they weren't allowed onboard (Booing and much hissing ensued). So Carry, Muriel, and Sundry started to walk . Their feet got wet. Very, very wet.
Chris - an interview
©Alex's Room Productions 2013
Bio
- The latest album is called 'As The Sunflower Turns Its Face Towards The Sun' and was recorded in Kells at the KlangKling Studio. All the songs on the album were all written, played, and produced by Chris
- There have been four previous albums. They are 'A Crack In The Cosmic Egg' (2009), 'Ghosts' (2009), 'Blue Eyed Boy' (2010) and 'Life And Everything In-between' (2011)
- Chris does all his own CD designs, booklets and photo artwork
- His albums have all been recorded in his KlangKling studio in Kells
- Website http://chriscarry.com
- Record distributor http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ChrisCarry
- Works for Dell Ireland and has spent over 25 years in Global Procurement and Business Process Management
- Previously worked in Zenith, NEC, Lotus, Novell, 3Com, and Microsoft
- Chris has four children – Ben, Amy, Katie and Alex all educated at Carnaross NS and the Community College and Eureka Convent in Kells
- Lives with partner Amanda and their two dogs, Willow and Walt, in Kells, Co Meath Ireland
- First album bought – “Hunky Dory” by David Bowie in 1973
- First single bought – “Street Life” by Roxy Music in 1973
- Last album bought – 'Get Happy - Elvis Costello' (on vinyl)
- Favourite Live Act – Bruce Springsteen – 49 shows and counting.....
Interests – other than music
“Interview with Chris Carry – Jan 2013” - Interview for “Alex’s Room Productions”
OK, so let’s start at the beginning? Where are you from? The accent is hard to place?
Chris Carry - Well, I was born and spent the first 12 years of my life in the Northwest of England. My folks were both Irish, Dad from Meath and Mum, Kildare, and I guess part of the emigrant experience of those who left in 1950’s was the likely return home at some stage. Which they did, in 1975. Things were tough for the Irish in England in those days [referring to the negative perception of the Irish in the wake of the IRA activity of that time]. Indeed I used to get some of that stick too as a kid. In England I was a “Paddy” and in Ireland I was a “Brit”!...hard to know exactly what you were at that age...not that you even thought of it until someone challenged you…
You’ve lived in Ireland since?
CC – A couple of years in New York and a year or so in London, Meath has very much been my home. After England I lived in Navan for about 5 years during my teens, but all my subsequent time in the county has been in the Kells area. You could throw a stone anywhere around here and hit a relation of mine! Not that I advocate anyone throwing stones at my clan!! We’ll get ya! I have a lot of family here. I actually make a joke about this in my song “Like We Do In Kells” [from “A Crack In The Cosmic Egg”], I think I mention there are 4 or 5 relations with the same name as me. It’s not even a slight exaggeration (laughs). My Grandad, my uncle, two cousins and myself all share the same name! In one instance there’s a shared birthday too! Crazy! I’m honoured though to be part of that nomenclature! Great word "nomenclature". Must put it in a song sometime.
So town mouse or country mouse?
CC – Ha, probably both to be fair. Was a country mouse, currently a town mouse, with aspirations to country “mousedom” again...
We’re here to talk about your latest album [“Life And Everything In-between”]. You’ve had an interesting few years Mr Carry ?
CC – Hmm, I suppose you could say that! The last number of years have been…(pauses)….yeah, interesting. That’s one way of looking at it.
Pray tell?
CC – Well, I'm not sure that the public and private stuff mixes too well....
Why? It obviously informs your music?
CC – Yes, it absolutely does, but I think everyone’s personal circumstances are generally only relevant to that person. I had a cancer thing a few years ago and had little bits of me removed. But was it as serious as other people’s situations under the cloud of that illness? No, no way, because I’m fine now [touches wooden chair arm rest]. There is always someone worse off than you. But it was relative to me then because it shocked me into becoming bluntly aware of my mortality. But, the flipside (laughs) is that it also shocked me into doing something I had aspired to do ever since I was a teenager..
…writing music?...
CC …exactly!...I was, and still am, a huge anorak when it comes to music…it’s only in the last few years I’ve had the encouragement to do this and to get beyond my embarrassment of people hearing me sing! I’m still very uncomfortable with that though to be honest...very...
What songs were influenced by the illness?
CC – (thinks)….well between that and the marital separation [the marriage ended in early 2006 after 18 years] a lot of stuff was exorcised through the music...my kids are the most important thing in the world to me so most of the first couple of albums cover all that.. the kids have specific songs written for them on the “Cosmic Egg” album…
Hard times?
CC – oh yes…absolutely and still can be…it wouldn’t be the most outlandish conclusion to link the illness to the separation...the end of the marriage could only be described as having a death in the family… I’ve since had the immense luck of creating a wonderful relationship with someone [Amanda, his partner since mid 2006] who was a solid friend first. It really helps the dynamic. I also have these four totally amazing kids though which I thank the world for everyday...every single day…look at your blessings, and count ’em..
Ages?
CC – Ben is 23 and just graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Engineering, Amy is 22 and a graduate, currently working in the PTSB bank, Katie is 19 and doing a degree in Early Childhood Studies and Alex is 17 and in Leaving Cert…
...no babies then!
CC -...well!! Amanda and I have two pups, a wee Dachsound called Willow and a little Maltese called Walt. It’s like having babies all over again! I was bitten on the ass by a huge Alsatian when I was sixteen (laughs) so I’ve never been totally dog, what would you say…
…friendly?...
CC – maybe, I’m generally an amiable chap, but now I’m more dog…comfortable…but with the two dudes they are just so damn adorable…for a germ-a-phobe like me, to let them lick my hand and now sleep in the same room is a really big deal! They make me smile and often....
Did the kids inherit the musical gene?
CC – Ben was definitely in the shallow end of the musical gene pool (laughs) but I know he likes a sing song when provoked by a pint...his version of “White Christmas” is legendary (laughs again)…but he makes up for it with the “smarts” and has a big future ahead of him…very bright and personable young man, works hard ....both Amy and Katie are lovely singers [Katie is mentioned as having performed in the Solstice in Navan on several occasions and both girls had featured parts in their school musicals]….Amy had a walk on part in the movie filmed in Kells [“Cracks” produced by Ridley and the late Tony Scott and directed by Jordan Scott]…she also has a credit on the first Ham Sandwich album!...Alex is something else [puts heavy emphasis on the something]. It’s hard to put into words, well, words that are objective when it’s your own child you’re talking about...but he’s fast becoming one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen…and he’s just turned 16!...the kid looks like an angel but plays like the ghosts of Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan combined…that good…he’s on youtube somewhere doing his thang…but I’m very proud of them all and constantly humbled by what good people they are turning out to be...they are all a credit to both parents…
You’re rumoured to be a bit of a recluse?
CC - What? Me? Am I? (laughs!). No, I don’t think I can be called that! A recluse?? (pauses to think). Crikey maybe I can be though. I’ve never drank and so I’m not a person that hangs out in the pubs et cetera . But then to be fair I’m probably more than a bit socially awkward. Don’t like crowds, don’t socialize much, keep to myself most of the time and I’m rubbish at keeping in touch with folks. Even the ones I particularly like! Ah ok, go on, you can call me reclusive then! (laughs). It’ll add to the mystique! But you could call me boringly low key either. I won’t be offended (smiles).
We spoke of your Springsteen crush earlier…
CC – …Springsteen, Bowie, Beatles, Elvis Costello, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dylan, Hiatt, Young, Prince, Talking Heads…Lou Reed…Tom Waits…actually it’s easier to point you at my website to cover all that stuff. There’s loads of folks I greatly, greatly admire…I put a list of influences up there… [the website is located at http://www.chriscarry.com]
So tell us about Springsteen then? According to what you’ve said you’re a bit of a stalker!!
CC – Oh God, it does seem like that doesn’t it (groans). I’ve seen Bruce live in concert 39 times. I’ve met him…
..you’ve met Springsteen??
CC – yes...did we mention stalker? (laughs)…I wrote a song about the meeting which explains it all...[The song is “Yes, He Hugged Me” from Carrys’ first record “A Crack In The Cosmic Egg”]. My written version of story has also been put into print a couple of times so I can say I’m published as a writer too (makes a ticking of the box motion). I LOVE Springsteen, what else can I say?
I’ve seen many amazing concerts over the years, Queen, McCartney, Neil Young, Tom Waits and so on, but none of those can be compared to a Bruce show. It’s like an addiction to having a good time. 39 shows and never just an “ok” or a “bad” one.Springsteen gives 100% every night. It’s truly remarkable. We’ll never see it again after he’s gone. He’s an ins piration.
What triggered the Bruce love in?
CC - …(thinks for a moment)…initially it all goes back to the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978 and the live clip of “Rosalita”from a concert in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first time we’d probably seen Bruce on tv in Ireland. I remember my schoolfriend Gerry Mee and myself being completely knocked out by it “what was THAT”!!
Bruce was on top of the piano, he slid across the floor on his knees , eventually he was covered in beautiful girls from the crowd until he fell over… Gerry went out and bought the “Darkness” record the following day I think, but it did take me a bit longer to give in to the gravitational pull of The Boss. I was still heavily into my other musical love, Bowie and the periphery of that influence, you know, Roxy Music, The Velvet Underground, Talking Heads and so on…
So when did Bruce finally kick in?
CC – About 18 months later I fell in utter awe after I bought the “Wild and Innocent” and “Born To Run” on cassette in Discland…possibly one of them I bought in Gerry Hylands shop...what was that shop? [thinking]. A car parts shop that sold records? Crikey that’s going back many, many years…used to be on the main street in Navan…
You still remember?
CC – Oh yes, these [buying albums] were life changing events! Truly. For me music was a conduit to connecting with myself. It’s been my teacher, my moral compass, my peace of mind. It’s just ingrained in my DNA. I live and breath music.
I still remember ordering and buying my Bowie vinyl records from Discland in Navan when there used to be an arcade type shopping area just off the same main street. Navan! Music mecca of my world!! Discland moved after that to the main street [Trimgate Street]. Used to hang out there so much, must have really annoyed the owners at the time! Bought my first Dylan album there too.
There were 3 or 4 record shops in Navan those days…another one up across from (thinks)…a ladies clothes shop (“Lily Coogans” rings a bell”?).
It was between two pubs possibly ”Loughrans” and “The Tailteann”??...I remember buying “Tragedy” by the Bee Gee’s for a girlfriend there!...there was another record shop on Brews Hill, just down from “McEvoys” shop, across from the old Lyric cinema…I bought (incredulously) an EIGHT TRACK cassette copy of Bowies “Diamond Dogs” there…(laughs) didn’t have an 8 Track machine to play it on though!…and Marc Bolan’s last album there too [T.Rex – “Dandy In The Underworld”] …could have been a sports shop at the time…man, you’re digging out the cobwebs now!...
I clearly remember ringing CBS (now Sony) Records in Dublin to find out the release date for “Born In The USA”…I took what was in those days a day trip to Dublin to pick it up, only to find “Golden Discs” and “Dolphin Records” didn’t have it in stock!!…came home completely dejected on the Kells bus only to find that the exact same bus I was on, was carrying a box of the album to be delivered to Tom Murrays Fishing and Shooting shop!! Picked up my copy before I went home…fishing shops, sporting goods and car parts shops!! Did everyone buy records this way (laughs)...
It’s quite obvious how much all this meant to you…
CC …and it still does…nowadays, for Bruce in particular, the web is such a fantastic resource…another thing about Springsteen fans is that we tend to share everything, no money involved, we call it spreading the wealth…live concert recordings, outtakes, all the stuff that was part of the legend 30 years ago…there’s one national DJ who got his first copy of “The Rising” from me...3 weeks before it was released!...we still buy the records when they come out it just meant we could listen and critique the music before it gets affected by mass release…I’ve been on the receiving end of many selfless acts from Springsteen fans, and hopefully done by bit to pay it forward…
You take this seriously…
CC – I think I said “anorak” earlier (laughs)…there’s much more important things going in the world but the dreamers have to dream…Springsteen’s an important part of how I’ve hopefully changed myself over the years. I’ve used Bruce’s comment that “no one wins, unless everyone wins” as a personal mantra for a couple of decades now. It’s informed how I need, actually how we all need, to be always improving as people and how we help contribute to those around us. But! Enough about Bruce or we really could be here all night…seriously!....
OK (laughs) any other famous encounters?
CC – There’s been a few…Lou Reed a couple of times, Elvis Costello three or four times..eh [thinking]…Paddy McAloon, one of my favourite songwriters ever [McAloon is front man of the group Prefab Sprout]…oh yes, Nils Lofgren, I was a huge fan before he joined the E Street Band...Roy Bittan (E Street Band pianist – “he was born on the street I lived on in Belle Harbour in New York!!”)…Robert Plant (“dead sound”)…John Hiatt (“an utter gentleman”)…oh yes, Chris Difford from Squeeze…
Tell me about Difford? I used to love “Cool For Cats”….
CC - …me too! I was a huge Squeeze fan from day one…… a couple years ago Chris held a writers workshop in Perugia in Italy. A bunch of like-minded songwriters getting together to make music…met some wonderful folks there…I could have walked away from that experience thinking I’d never be as good as those [attendee’s], but instead it was inspirational and I upped my game after that, certainly in terms of production, and the latest record benefits greatly from the use of computers to capture the sound…the first album is embarrassingly badly produced…some decent songs, and I say that with utmost modesty, but hard on the ears…but I’m getting better at that [technical] stuff as I go on…and there I was in Italy with a guy I’d only ever seen on Top Of The Pops or in concert…Mike Lindup from Level 42 was also on the same trip and he had some great stories about TOTP from back in the day
You’ve worked in the Irish IT industry for many years?
CC – Yes and I still do. I’m with Dell the past couple of years and spent over 11 years in Microsoft before that. I have a day job which means that music often takes a back seat to the process that pays the bills! I tend to work late nights at the weekend on the music stuff and my iPhone is generally always chock full of voice memo’s to myself with song titles, scenarios and lyrics.
You’ve built up a fan base that is geographically very diverse?
CC – I don’t honestly know how that has happened. I released the music and it kind of found its way out to some good homes. I have a fan-base , for want of a better description, that includes UK, Germany, the US and as far as China and Malaysia.
So what’s next for you?
CC - Well, this is my first attempt at actually publicizing what I do. I write, play, record and produce my music on my own at home in my little studio. It means of course that I’m always able to pick up a guitar or access a piano when I need to write.
Need to write?
CC – Oh, yes. Need. I do this thing [music] because it is an utter compulsion. I was a late starter but when I did start I couldn’t stop. I wrote dozens of songs very quickly. On reflection they were always probably in me somewhere.
And to go back to my “what’s next” question?
CC - I have another album in progress. At the moment it will be called “As The Sunflower Turns Its Face Towards The Sun”. It’s about 75% finished and will be released some time around April-ish. You can hear a demo of the title song on my website. The album after that one will be called "Onion". I even have the artwork done. I'm writing those songs now.
Other passions in your life?
CC – apart from family and the music, I am a lifelong Evertonian. Cut me I bleed blue! Being an Evertonian is definitely character building (laughs). The two constants in my life, irrespective where I’ve been or what’s been happening in my life are soccer and music. That’s probably why they’re so important to me.
First gig you ever went to?
CC – First concert would have been...Horslips and Mama’s Boys in the Beechmount Hotel in Navan. First real sit down concert was The Kinks at the National Stadium back in...(thinks)...1980…wow....concert going is my one extravagance....I've been to hundreds....
...great ones?.....
CC - oh yeah...yes....Queen RDS 84...Prince O2 London...Neil Young Madison Square Gardens in '87....Paul McCartney O2....Bowie in the Olympia...Kraftwerk there too...Bowie at The Point was awesome...I can see myself on the DVD....Stevie Ray Vaughan Pier 64 New York....Elvis Costello, many shows...Prefab Sprout also at The Olympia ..I met Paddy McAloon after that one...lovely bloke, (laughs) great beard, must've been about two foot long!.... those 39 Bruce shows, every single one...loads more...Dylan with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers as his back up band in New York around '87...I've seen Dylan 6 or 7 times and they've been mainly, and sadly, dire concerts...but he's still a legend...many many more...Tom Waits, second row, centre stage, freakin' awe-some...Leonard Cohen...I could go on and on...
…and last one you attended?
CC – that’s a really good question!! It was Ray Davies [singer songwriter from The Kinks] at the O2! How’s that for cosmic alignment! The next concert after that was due to be the December Steve Vai show at Vicar Street in Dublin, but work commitments meant I had to miss that one, although Alex went with Amy in my place....(whispers)..thanks Amsey...It meant Al got to see the show...Next up after that (thinks for a couple of seconds)…it’s either John Prine or Aimee Mann…love her to bits, so looking forward to that…Bruce touring again this year, so an E Street summer on the way...I have tickets for Roger Waters too...and Clapton!...have to say though one of my proudest moments up there with kids graduations and Katie singing to a packed audience at The Solstice was seeing Alex playing in his band Ignition in Kells. He can put the guitar behind his head and solo like crazy...(smiling) god I hate that kid....
Anyone you havent seen yet that you'd like to?
Kate Bush, end of.....
Editors Note. Chris DID get to see Kate Bush live at the Hammersmith Apollo in London in August 2014, with Amanda. Reliably informed they were seated in the second row, centre stage....
Good call. So to wrap up, where can people find your music?
CC – I can be found on iTunes and specifically I have an artist’s page that can be found at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ChrisCarry. Folks can also check out my web site http://www.chriscarry.com
Reprint of this interview by express permission of Alex’s Room Productions © 2013