Quite shocking news. Apparently he has been ill for some time. RIP . Renowned Irish singer-songwriter Cathal Coughlan has died, aged 61 | Hotpress
A singular artist . FATIMA MANSIONS was a perplexing and mysterious offering that sounds as displaced in time now just like it did on release. Respect.
Select magazine, back in the day, did a good piece on Fatima Mansions when they were playing support to U2 on the ZooTV tour in Milan or Turin. Cathal showed up on stage in a Barcelona shirt .... quite deliberately too.
Very sad news, great voice and songwriting. I'm glad I got to see him once on a rare US visit (with FM).
Saw Fatima Mansions supporting U2 on the Zoo TV tour and found them to be simply brilliant. I went scurrying out and bought Viva Dead Ponies the very next day. A fantastic songwriter and an intense onstage presence.
Sad to hear...saw him many times live in various guises over the years. I missed the Microdisney reunion at the National Concert Hall in Dublin a few years back - the clips looked and sounded great (He always came across as angry, confrontational, possibly resentful of the lack of commercial success and yet deliberately going out of his way to make sure none came his way. A shame really - great voice, unique songwriting style and quite a handsome dude.)
Oddly enough, when questioned about successful acts like U2, he was actually extremely supportive and lacked any negativity towards them. All I can remember is warmth and praise for people who came up under similar circumstances. Just wanted to throw that out there.
Oh my god, this is devastating news. What a terrible loss. This one hits really hard. Cathal has been among my very favorite artists for decades, especially for his work with Microdisney and his solo career. The man was, in my opinion, the best and most intelligent lyricist working today, and his music was excellent, uncompromising, and truly unique until the end. Hearing him sing was always a great source of comfort for me, even when his lyrics were at their most caustic. I was not able to see any of the Microdisney reunion shows a few years ago (something I regret now more than ever), but he sure seemed to be in top health based on the clips I saw. I wonder how long he'd been ill and whether his significantly increased activity over the last couple years had anything to do with that.
Feed the birds poisoned bread In the square beneath my place of birth People die, so will I Cut and dried and empty Quite alone When they bury me When the people know of the baby boy He was such a gifted lyricist. Profound irony, gentle music.
Thanks for this. Yet another case where I had no idea who the artist was until their passing but the bits of music I just heard sounded really interesting. Going to deep dive into their solo stuff as well as Fatima Mansions and Microdisney. RIP.
Sad sad news....I love everything MICRODISNEY.. ...not familiar with his work beyond that bands output.too young!!R.I.P.
RIP Cathal. The NCH show and the subsequent show in Vicar St. were both excellent. The band came out to the foyer after the NCH show and signed stuff. I got an autograph for myself and my brother (who was in secondary school with Cathal).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd59aU0jMx9/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet Some words from Sean O'Hagan.
R.I.P. A shock for sure. Was watching the vid for 'Amused As Hell' just the other night for first time in a couple of years. Great video where he plays the part of a newsreader and also a reporter doing pieces to camera. Gets all the body language just right. Most of my fave Microdisney stuff is on the last two albums and I think they were actually added to Spotify etc. for first time only a week or two ago.
So sad. His recent solo album "Songs of Co-Aklan" and the Telefís album he did with Jacknife Lee are amongst his best work, all of it is worth spending some time with though. I'd listened to more of his music recently than ever. At least he went out on a creative high. Also, what a voice! I love it and it never lost a step!
This is terrible news. A brilliant artist with a unique perspective. He will be missed. Rest In Peace.
