Before me and Darragh began talking, we performed together. The Open Mic I used to go to every Sunday would have a ‘big fancy open mic’ once a month. One day, in the summer of 2016, I hadn’t rehearsed anything for it so decided not to go. I had done a song of mine called ‘Dance till you die’ with a backing track the week before and it cut out on me so I was done with backing tracks. As I sat at home, I looked outside at the nice summer evening. I thought I’d head down anyway, but not perform. I’d just chill in the smoking area and talk shite to whoever was there. The Roisin Dubh smoking area is a great spot in the summer pre-open mic.

I wandered down and sat in the smoking area talking to people. I then went downstairs and the list came out for people to sign up. This was the first night they started putting the big fancy open mic list out a half hour earlier due to a new weekly swing band that was on after led by John Conneely. I decided to throw my name down anyway since there was time. If worse came to worse, I’d just ask Tracy, the host, to take my name off the list.

With no idea what I was going to do, I went back upstairs and sat with a group of people I knew who rarely ever came to the open mic. The group consisted of Peter Shine, Eilish McCarthy, Muireann Ní Raghallaigh and Darragh O’Brien. I had never really spoken to Darragh before. The only reason I knew him to speak to is because he had recently become the new singer in Joycee’s band, Dead Horse Jive. The only interaction I ever had with him up to this point is during the big fancy open mic, the month before. It was the open mics 5th birthday. Somebody made muffins for the night and they gave them out to everybody. I didn’t get one and I was upset. Darragh wandered over later that night and introduced himself. It was a very short conversation and he left a muffin on my table before he went back to whoever he was with.

Anyway, back to the story. As the group were talking, I was contemplating ideas. All my songs are four chord progressions so I turned to Darragh and asked him if he could play four chords in a loop for me on the piano they had. I had made the backing track to a song called ‘My Generation’ so I knew what chords they were, He said it would be no problem. I was interested in seeing the outcome of this.

During the open mic, we decided to use the house guitar instead. As my name was called, the two of us wandered up to the stage. This was either going to go OK or completely fail, I thought. Tracy unwinded the mic for me. Darragh practiced the chords quickly while we were setting up, she then showed him which pedal amplified the guitar. I was asked to test the mic so I just said the word ‘microphone’ into it.

After a bit of stage banter, Darragh began playing the chords. Now, anybody who has ever heard this song will know it’s a dark gritty song that you would expect punk/metal over. Darragh, having no idea what the song was, began playing RnB chords similar to the song ‘No Scrubs’. At first I was going to correct him, but then I realized the timing was perfect. I thought, fuck it and began the chorus. During the first chorus, I noticed there was a plastic foot attached to the P.A.s above me strangely enough.

During the second verse, my mind trailed and I forgot the lyrics. I’d only written the song the month before and hadn’t really practiced it other than recording it in my studio. With no idea what was going on, I panicked. The rhythm worked for a while but now there wasn’t enough energy and my mind was literally giving up on it. I saved the mistake with banter until I eventually recollected myself and finished the verse. During the chorus before the third verse, I said on the mic “I don’t think this is working”. Then a bit of magic happened. Darragh and I both started putting more energy into it. My vocals got louder and more raspey and Darragh switched to power chords. I roared “My Generation is fucked” over and over again until I felt the adrenaline run through me. Luckily enough, the third verse began with me asking the crowd to “Throw your hands up….” All this combined, everyone suddenly got behind me filling the room with a great atmosphere. Throughout the third verse, people roared and cheered. This really turned the entire performance around. When I came off the stage everyone told me they really loved my song. I went to the bar and they lad standing beside me, looked in his late thirties, praised my lyrics. He told me he’d love to do what I do. “Why don’t you just do it?” I asked him. “I have depression and anxiety that prevents me” he replied. I told him “That’s why I do it!”. He went quiet. The bartender gave me my water, I then shook his hand and went off.

When the open mic finished and they were counting the votes, (the big fancy is also a competition where the crowd vote with the prize of €100 and a support slot in the future) I was upstairs talking to people. After a couple years of performing and not winning I stopped caring about the competition. The winner was always a singer songwriter who wrote depressing songs, someone who went on early or someone who acted shy, with low confidence. Sharpie then came running up.”I think you better come down” he said to me. I went down to see what the craic is. I was sure, Sharpie was messing with me. Tracy went back on stage and announced the 3 acts with the most votes. “And 1st place is Crazed and Darragh”.

This was a key moment as I realized how free I was with my talent. As long as the timing is right, I can adapt my performance to any style. I didn’t need backing tracks after all. All I needed was someone to play a few chords and the rest was down to my songs and stage presence. It was also after this night, my music went to another level. 3 weeks later, I was offered the support slot for Saul Williams. A huge slam poet/rapper from America. This was a big deal as it brought me from “trying to be a rapper” to “I’ve gigged with big acts”

Since then, me and Darragh have become really good friends and played numerous gigs together. We even supported the Rubberbandits in the summer of 2017 and gigged in London the summer of 2018. It’s weird to think that if I had decided to just sit in that night, none of this would have happened and I might have even possibly given up the whole Crazed thing that year. It just makes me wonder what opportunities I have missed due to laziness.

If you wish you were there the night Darragh and I first played together off the cuff, I had somebody record it, luckily enough. You can find the video below!