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Bio:
Niall MacMahon was in various obscure outfits with names like
Spike, Niall-on & the Shocking Stockings,
Gott, The Maidavaleables and
Brute Force & The Ignorance.
Shocking Stockings (originally Niall-on & the Shocking Stockings)
were a post-punk new-wave band with an ironic repertoire of
pastiches that ran from Reggae through Funk and Disco to Rock,
with humorous political and/or social commentary lyrics.
They released a single on Carrere Records and recorded an LP
titled 'Nylon' which was never released (details taken from Hot Press vol.4 nr.2, June 1980).
"Tragi-comic vocals (Beefheart meets Chadbourne meets
Dennis of Dr Hook and goes for a stroll around Stephens
Green, Dublin) and clever poignant moving lyrics"--NME
Niall released a solo album in 1988. Folk Roots described it thusly:
"He starts off by plundering Ennio Morricone, dips
boldly into the eccentric world or reggae folk hero
Lee Perry, mercilessly satirises the British ruling class,
and winds up with a veritable masterpuece of
bitter-sweetness about Ireland and the lot of the
emigré.
Fashionably enough it sounds like a demo (which
is occasionally a bit of a shame, especially
when you have a song as realistic and movingly
unromantic as Don't Ever Take Me Back Across
To Ireland). Plenty of people are doing this now,
but this is cheerfully random enough not to sound
contrived or self-conscious. The opening track,
El Sid's, for example, isn't as funny as you
initially imagine it, but is about football hooliganism
draped in the arrangement of a tacky spaghetti
western. Then again, Like An Alien has him
sounding like a dead ringer for Warren Zevon."--
Folk Roots Magazine, August 1988.
Notes:
Niall MacMahon - vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards
Additional credits on 'Police & Thieves':
Philip Chevron - piano, acoustic guitar, tambourine, melodica
Tomy Keane - uileann pipes
Ron Kavana - bass
Jimmy Wynne - drums
Bree MacMahon - backing vocals
Additional credits on 'Like An Alien' :
Philip Chevron - Bajo Sexto, keyboards
Notes: An album of Niall MacMahon's songs recorded by Lila MacMahon in various 90s dance genres. MTH = More Than Human
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