Culture That Made Me: Cork singer Joe O’Callaghan of Hot Guitars
Joe O'Callaghan of Hot Guitars, at his home in Cork. Picture: David Keane
Born in 1949, Joe O’Callaghan grew up off Model Farm Road, Cork. In 1977, he co-founded Hot Guitars, a legendary blues band on the Cork music scene, not least for his antics as a frontman and its long-running Monday night residency in Sir Henry’s.
His single ‘Bad Dog Blues’, which was written by Kevin Lynch, is available on Bandcamp and usual platforms.
Hot Guitars’ CD, Live at the Mills, is also out now. Hot Guitars will perform as part of Rory Gallagher Night, Cork City Hall, 7pm, Sunday, September 15. See: www.eventbrite.ie
The first time I saw Rory Gallagher was at a Pioneer concert. We were all dragged down from school for it to the Capitol Cinema. He was about 12 years old. He came out with his guitar and he did ‘Sloop John B’ and some Lonnie Donegan songs. I remember a priest, who was promoting the Pioneer cause, came out to introduce the band: “We don't wanna be square. We want to be very much with it.”
Rory used to play at the Cavern Club in Leitrim Street in Cork in the mid 1960s. He was very talented. You could see – even though he was still a teenager – he was ahead of his time. He had something special. A lot of bands from Northern Ireland like The Gentry came down and played there as well. Cahir O’Doherty was the singer with them. I remember Granny’s Intentions – their singer Johnny Duhan wrote The Voyage for Christy Moore – playing there as well. They were very melodic.
Seeing the Rolling Stones at the Savoy – with the original line-up, including Brian Jones – was my favourite gig. It was around the winter of 1965. They were package tours in those days. They might only play for half an hour. There were other bands on the bill.
We all went down from school to see them. It was great. It was the first of about four or five times I’ve seen them. Mick Jagger was just standing on stage. He was throwing a few shapes, but he wasn’t moving around. It was only after seeing Tina Turner that he started running around like James Brown.
I saw Pink Floyd at the Arcadia [former venue near the train station in Cork] in 1967. It was when they had Syd Barrett in the band. I just remember four guys on stage making austere noises. About the only tune they had at the time was ‘Arnold Layne’.
There was this background of floating bubbles and psychedelic lights. It was before they developed into what they are today. People were transfixed, looking on in wonder. The band were probably stoned out of their heads. I wasn’t too impressed. I like rock’n’roll and rhythm’n’blues.
I remember the Bee Gees coming to play the Savoy too. This was before they became a disco band.
They were very good, very melodic. Their harmonies were very good. I appreciated them even though they weren’t my cup of tea.
In 1970, I was in art school. A gang of us went over to London in the summer.
I was busking in the Tube stations and I had a job during the day driving a van delivering groceries and wine to these sad old ladies in their apartments. It was an interesting experience.
I used to read the New Musical Express every week. There was great excitement when the Isle of Wight festival was announced because Hendrix and The Doors were coming over and there was Jethro Tull and The Who.
I remember seeing Sly and the Family Stone do a sound check on the Sunday morning at 7am.
Myself and my mate said we’d go up to see the Moody Blues. Murray Lerner was filming a documentary at the time. I remember the cameras turning around, and years later I noticed that myself and my friend were caught on film in the movie.
I nearly missed Jimi Hendrix. We were crashed out in our sleeping bags. Hendrix came on at around 2am. Leonard Cohen was on before him. Leonard Cohen had put us to sleep, I’d say!
Donovan was on the Sunday as well. He was very good. Actually, the first time I heard Donovan doing his song ‘Colours’ prompted me to take up the harmonica for the first time.
He’s a very good musician and a very good harmonica player for playing blues. ‘Keep on Truckin’, which is a bluesy number, was a great old song he did.
Back in the day, we had great venues in Cork like the Shandon Boat Club, Cork Boat Club and Highfield Boat Club. We used to play gigs there.
The Shandon Boat Club was obviously overlooking the River Lee. There was a balcony outside where courting couples would go. Kissing couples, because in those days there was no sex in Ireland.
Some guys used to climb up from outside, trying to avoid the bouncer, so they could get in for free.
I remember seeing Gary Moore play the Cork Boat Club. “The Brush” – Brush Shiels – was with him. It was a Skid Row reunion gig.
The Brush was back on bass – he should have stayed on bass. He was a character on the bass – all acrobatics and splits and jumping around on stage. He was very exuberant. Gary Moore was a wonderful player.
I love the Cork Jazz Festival. Harry Connolly, a founding member of the festival, is the main man at it. He’s a wonderful singer in the jazz, crooning sense.
He’s a brilliant entertainer – a great showman as well as a great jazz saxophone player. He’s funny. He’s a bit of a character. He always has a great band with him and he always invites people up to play with him.
At the moment, my favourite movie is Alfie because I’m playing Alfie on the piano and on the harmonica. It’s a 1960s film with Michael Caine, a lad about town in London. He’s a great actor. It’s a striking film and a serious one.
I’m surrounded by art. My father, Diarmuid O’Ceallacháin, was an artist. He taught in the art school. He did loads of classical paintings. He studied under Seán Keating.
I went to art college myself but that was the start of me getting into bands. My sister, Noël, is an artist. So is my partner, Helen Barry – she’s a very good artist and sculptor.
There’s so many great artists. It’s hard to pick out one. I went to see a Vincent van Gogh exhibition in Amsterdam – the original paintings. I enjoyed going around the gallery there.
It’s very relaxing to inhale – or absorb – the paintings in a gallery like that. It’s a very tranquil feeling.
