Cajole and Bully

A Brief History! But nothing from the last yearOisin and Dave’s worlds collided in September 1995 as first years attending Rochestown College, Cork. Over the next few years their mutual love of cigarettes, fun and good music cemented their friendships. After such ditties as “Cracker time up the Bum” and “Scratching my Balls all the way to Art”, the pair first collaborated in 1998 rewriting the lyrics to the musical Oklahoma for their fourth year play, which was later scrapped deemed shite. The young talentless prodigies decided not to work together again and branched off with their own respective projects. Oisin first joined some band from Carrigaline before leaving fearing himself too good looking for such a folly. Whilst Dave took misdirection from song smith Michael Costello in post break up band Sincerity (In all sincerity a fucking terrible name). Despite a string of powerful anthems and heart wrenching ballads, inner band tensions, which later became known as the battle of the Cozys, forced Dave to tell the lads that he no longer wanted to annoy the neighbours in his garage with them. By now Oisin had cut a record with the Uber political Gimmick and had started to gig the adolescent melting pot that was the phoenix. Dave then formed punk pop posers Chewlips with Killian(DENNY BOY) Dorney on drums Brian(every band in Cork) O’Sullivan on Bass and Niall(the Rage) Burkawitz supplying sturdy lead guitar. The songs were simple, the feedback was shrill and ladies lined up to get a taste of Dorney’s sausage. Gimmick soon fell apart with Oisin fearing himself too good looking for the band. Dineen and Flanagan continued to pull the piss out of eachother at school yet their mutual love for Destiny’s Child meant that they were forced to sit next to each other in most classes. It was during this tumultuous time in Penny Lane’s history class, that the name “Cajole and Bully” came into consciousness. Doctor Lane was waffling something or other about Prussian wildboy Otto Van Bismarck and used said term to describe the pointy hated Herr’s exploits. Missing the point of the lecture Dave set about scribbling a picture of a laughing man and a Bull in the Margin of his history book. “Cajole and Bully” were born. Later that class Oisin penned the timeless classic “Cajole and Bully adventures everyday” evoking memories of past glories “Cracker Time” and “Balls to Art”, and all the while heralding a future far yet from written. December 1999 saw the Chewlips first and only festival appearance LEAPSTOCK ( like Woodstock, but with more underage drinking). Dineen attended the event in Connelly’s of Leap and can be heard heckling on the recordings singing a drunken remix of “Crackers up the Bum”. After a successful gig and West Cork night, Flanagan returned to the back of the Tour Bus only to find Dineen in the darkness spewing vomit over his beloved Squire Tele. It was a watershed moment. The leaving Cert had begun to take its grip and the Chewlips only ever played 2 more gigs. Time passed and moss grew. A month before some planes hit a building or two, Flanagan and The Rage reunited for one jam only; also in attendance that day was Cormac Hughes and a young Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy and Flanagan had known eachother since the age of 4 but went their separate ways in 1995. This rare meeting seemed meaningless at the time, with jam going nowhere due to a shy Flanagan unable to perform his own songs. Little seemed to happen in the following years. Nobody definitely considered himself good looking enough for POPSTARS that’s for sure. Dineen and Flanagan barely crossed paths in the period between 2001 and 2003 apart from the odd acoustic performance of that Weazer song, down on Cape Clear. In August 2003 Flanagan strung together his “Raw Material” ep. A dodgy collection of badly sung out of tune love songs. Later that Autumn Dineen moved in with Dave in Grove Island Limerick. At this stage Flanagan was two years into Art College and had immersed himself in Green and Animation. Dave was unable to play music or even tune a guitar whilst Oisin tried to persuade his former classmate that they should start a band and take over the world. Failing this the two fell deep into a fog of hip-hop and soul music. For a time Flanagan actually believed he was part of the revolution that wasn’t televised. In the spring of 2004 Flanagan became aware of the genius that was to become BEAT CLEAVER. Taking guidance from the legend, Dave immersed himself in Reason 2.5 and gradually forgot how to relate to anybody who didn’t speak synth. Over the following months the former ROCCO boys explored Reason to annoying degrees. Flanagan went on to do a series recordings with Beat Cleaver all the while seriously trying the Minimalist’s shrinking patience. The summer of 2005 meant 4 important developments to Flanagan’s music collection. Geuro, Demon Days, London Calling and Importantly The Specials Singles Collection. Also that summer the potential of the pitch shift dial on the midi keyboard was realised. Once again Dineen and Flanagan went they’re separate ways only to reunite in Limerick at Apartment A1A in Parkview in the February of 2006. For the first time the 2 seemed heading in the same direction MuZakLEE. Dave was demonstrating the Drex loop machine to Oisin when the two spun from nowhere their first true collaboration the Sleazy Blues hit Birds and Bees. 10 hours several Buckies and a first outing in pro tools resulted in the version that stands today. Over the following few lunchtimes the pair under the name MoonmeN recorded Relief, Scamsterdame, Please, You N Me, and Dental Record breaking for a buzzed out summer of love in which only Summertime was recorded. MoonmeN disappeared off the Radar as Dave begun a career in Fonts and French frolics whilst Oisin begun developing the concept of Cardboard Tents. MoonmeN reunited for 1 night in December 06 to record 20three and Cardboard Tents. The next January, Flanagan enlisted the help of 5 will Die’s Andy Forestall to record A Girl With Your Hair, and Novelty again with Dineen. Also that month Dave recorded Glass on the Floor at Tierney’s Gaff. Disaster hit the MoonmeN when the hard drive containing all recordings and backing tracks of the their previous material was lost. The summer brought a new direction, a new member and a familiar face. Return of the Mac, Kev was back. Whilst at a Metal gig at the Cruiscin Lawn, a drunken Dave ran into old friend Kevin McCarthy for the first time since that ill faithed jam. Kev was advised to check out MoonmeN on myspace OR ELSE! Also present at that moment the infamous musician James Granell. Dineen, Flanagan, McCarthy and a drum machine spent that summer putting together a live set. Recording Echoes in the Corridor, Could, Crystal Ball and London rebel over a two-day period that August at Dave’s house with the assistance of Billy O’ReillyTron. The MoonmeN played their first public appearance at a gig at Naomi’s to an almost all Italian crowd. The show was later stolen by Ken Fitzgerald’s version of Umbrella. A drummer was needed. Step in James Granell……………to be continuedLapotikum Mukkets The Pananma Gazette Issue 101 Sept 07