Microdisney | |
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 Coughlan and O'Hagan in the late 1980s | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cork, Ireland |
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| Spinoffs | |
| Past members | Cathal Coughlan Sean O'Hagan Mick Lynch Giordaí Ua Laoghaire Nick Montgomery Jon Fell Dave Galvin Chris McCarthy Aisling Hayden Rob McKahey Tom Fenner James Compton |
Microdisney were an Irishrock band formed inCork in 1980.[2] They were founded and led by songwritersCathal Coughlan (keyboards, vocals) andSean O'Hagan (guitar).[3] Originally typeset as Micro Disney, the band had become Microdisney by the time they (Coughlan and O'Hagan) had relocated to London in 1983 and signed toRough Trade Records.[4] Between 1983 and 1986 the band recorded sixPeel Sessions[5] for BBC Radio and released their debut album for Rough Trade calledEverybody Is Fantastic.
In 1985, their albumThe Clock Comes Down the Stairs reached number one in theUK Indie Chart,[6][7] and they reached number 55 in theUK Singles Chart and the top 40 in Ireland with the 1987 single "Town to Town".[8][9] This single, released by Virgin Records, was followed into the UK chart by "Gale Force Wind" in March 1988. That 1 July, days after supportingDavid Bowie at London's Dominion Theatre, the band split up.[10]
O'Hagan and Coughlan formed separate bands,the High Llamas andthe Fatima Mansions, respectively, with Coughlan also going on to work withSean Hughes in Bubonique[11] andLuke Haines as part ofThe North Sea Scrolls project.[12][13][14] In 2017, a radio documentary was made about the band calledIron Fist in Velvet Glove – The Story of Microdisney by producerPaul McDermott, which was re-broadcast by Newstalk 106-108fm as part of theirDocumentary on Newstalk season.[15]
In 2018, Microdisney reunited for the first time in 30 years, performing live in Dublin and London.[1] In February 2019, they played their last shows in Dublin and Cork.[16] The members of Microdisney were awarded anIMRO/NCH Trailblazer Award, given to "culturally important" Irish albums (in this instance, forThe Clock Comes Down the Stairs) in 2018.[16]
A 2024 documentary, titledMicrodisney: The Clock Comes Down the Stairs and focusing on the band's formation and career and reformation, was broadcast on BBC4 on 15 March 2024.[17]
Studio albums
Other albums
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