A Question of Taste: Greg Dowling of Fish Go Deep

Greg Dowling is one half of Irish house music duo Fish Go Deep, as well as being a label owner and club promoter. 

Fish Go Deep are about to celebrate three decades of house music in Cork city on Saturday, December 9, in the Amp club on Hanover St.

Best recent book you’ve read:

The Age Of Anger, by Pankaj Mishra.

Best recent film you’ve seen:

Arrival.

Best recent gig you’ve seen:

Steely Dan in Dublin. I’ve been a long time fan and finally got to see them, unfortunately without Walter Becker.

A brilliant vibe all the way through with an amazing band. Such a sophisticated sound for a big venue. Donald Fagen was in top form, and you don’t often see that many world class musicians on one stage. A total joy.

Best piece of music you’ve been listening to lately (new or old):

Carry Fire by Robert Plant, pictured. He is really on fire with this self produced album.

He’s in particularly fine voice with the amazing sensational space shifters band backing him up, with some of the best songs of his career, I love it

First ever piece of music or gig that really moved you:

My first really big gig was Horslips in the National Stadium in Dublin; my first big album was Close to the Edge by Yes.

The best live gig you’ve ever seen (if you had to pick one!):

Neil Young in London a few years ago when he was playing on his own first and then for second half of the show the band came on.

The first half of the show was stunning just Neil and his beautiful songs; then for the second half with the band, they totally blew the roof of the place.

It was the perfect gig for me. I’ve been listening to Neil all my life it was so cool to finally see him.

The best DJ set you’ve ever seen:

Joe Clausell in Sir Henrys, a lesson to us all in programming a night, from techno to Steely Dan, The Doors and then some deep house. The man is a genius, a spiritual experience.

Tell us about your TV viewing:

I don’t watch it in real time as much as I used to. I’m more of a box set person these days, but I loved Mr Mercedes on RTÉ, and the new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry’s back!

Radio listening and podcasts:

I listen to Pat Kenny and Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk, and podcast-wise Sonictalk the techy podcast, and Marc Maron’s WTF.

You’re curating your dream festival — which three artists are on the bill, living or dead?

Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Solange.

If you could change one thing about the music/ents scene in Ireland, what would it be?

Reform our ridiculous liscening laws we badly need to stagger our closing times and treat people as adults.

2.30am is just way too early to send us all home — we need more dancing in our lives.

And appoint a night time mayor for Cork city to look after our nighttime economy and move forward as a city.

You can portal back to any period of human cultural history or music event — where, when, and why?

Woodstock would be cool, the music, the mud, and the full on hippy vibe... and a helicopter to get in and out, of course.

You are king for a day — what’s your first decree?

Ban all social media for a week lets see how we get on without it. I’d say we would be fine !