Rock Around The Doc

Here's a picture of myself and Dr. Ian Paisley, in conversation outside Belfast's City Hall. It was 1994, possibly the Autumn, and I had been despatched by the NME to spend a few days on the road with Andy Cairns from Therapy, meeting the young contenders.

We connected with Ash, bunking off school, clearly impressed by the author of 'Troublegum'. Andy gave us a breakdown of his international sales figures and Tim Wheeler gasped. Then we steered for Derry where we paid our respects to John O' Neill at the Nerve Centre. We also chatted to Billy Doherty from the Undertones and Paul McLoone, who eventually would sign up as singer. There were fun times with Cuckoo, particularly their floppy-fringed guitarist Andrew Ferris, future governor of Smalltown America Records.

Andy was excellent company and the journey was good for the heart. We signed off at Morrison's on Bedford Street, joined by Phil Woolsey from Joyrider and David Holmes. The latter was hired that night to put sonic bridges between tracks on the new Therapy record. You could feel the energy rising, the city vibrating.

The Paisley encounter took place on the Friday afternoon. He was singing hymns with gusto and when he was done, I showed the security forces my press card and winged an interview. I asked him what his favourite music was and he was momentarily quiet. Then he came back with a resounding line:

"Good Christian music. Music with the gospel in it."

Andy kept listening to the interview tape while we drove. It really appealed to him.

He asked for a copy of the tape. He was going to use it as the intro to a new song, 'Church Of Noise'. But after consideration, the legal department of his record label thought it might be unwise. We were disappointed.

A few years later and I was on Radio Ulster's Talkback show. I was commenting on some local prank poster campaign that was mocking the royal family. On another line, Ian Paisley Jr was sounding aggrieved. Then presenter David Dunsieth started asking me about a recent trip to Cuba with the Manic Street Preachers. So the story was thrown over to Ian Jr. Was he aware of the band?

"My father is a Manic Street Preacher," he quipped.

And y'know, he wasn't wrong.