Gavin Friday interview, Ireland 1988

The song is the title track from Gavin Friday’s first collaboration with The Man Seezer. It is an excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s poem ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ set to music composed by the two. Recorded in New York during the summer, the album was produced by Hal Willner. Gavin Friday enjoyed working in the city. The energy, the city, the vibe, it was the only place you could have made this record. This type of music seems far removed from the days of The Virgin Prunes. Did he ever think he’d end up performing songs that are more Berlin cabaret than post punk? I wouldn’t say so, I mean the Prunes dabbled in theatrics and the avant-garde, but this is far more musical. Gavin Friday’s long association with Bono has been documented in Eamon Dunphy’s recent biography of U2. Bono still calls him when he needs to get a perspective on things. That’s because they’ve been friends for many years, but it goes both ways, A man of words and wisdom, I think he sees me, as he is. Describing these new songs as an expression of how he sees the world, Gavin Friday believes, That’s what real music should be about, it’s how you see things, what you express things. Your visions. ‘Nighthawks’ was a programme that was set in a bar café where the presenter Shay Healy was also the proprietor. The content was a mixture of comedy sketches, interviews, music performances and music videos. ‘Nighthawks’ was broadcast between 1988 and 1992 and went out three nights a week. This episode of ‘Nighthawks’ was broadcast on 7 December 1988. The presenter is Shay Healy.