'Derry has been a constant throughout Horslips' lifetime'

The extended Horslips family is travelling to Derry for a poignant celebration of the life of fellow band member, the late Johnny Fean.

Johnny, a talented singer and guitarist, whose riffs drove along many of the iconic group’s best known tunes, died peacefully on April 28 at his home in Shannon in County Clare.

Johnny’s Month’s Mind Mass is taking place at 7.30pm tomorrow (Friday, June 2) in St Eugene’s Cathedral in the city and his wife, Maggie, has extended an open invitation to anyone who wishes to attend. Some of Johnny’s siblings will also be at the Mass.

Horslips' Johnny Fean remembered in Derry Month's Mind Mass

'For well over 50 years Johnny was our best friend, our creative collaborator, our guitar hero' - Horslips

Announcing details of the Mass, the band said: “Derry has been a constant throughout Horslips’ lifetime and many fans and friends - some of whom were unable to travel to Johnny’s funeral in Shannon, may find comfort in being able to pay their respects in St Eugene’s.”

The music during the Mass will be provided by renowned Derry musician, Frank Gallagher, Jim Lockhart from Horslips, and Paddy Goodwin from Drogheda.

Jim Nelis with the members of Horslips.

Speaking to Derry Now, Horslips aficionado, Jim Nelis, recalled being “totally and utterly mesmerised” by the band’s music when he first saw them in concert, in St Columb’s Hall, in August 1974.

“I was 14 years old,” said Jim, “and Horslips came to Derry to play two concerts for the Bogside Community Association (BCA), in August 1974 and January 1975. Incidentally, the BCA also brought Planxty to the town.

Johnny Fean.

“Before that, one of my brothers had brought their album The Táin (1973) into the house. At the start, I couldn’t really get into it but then, once I heard Dearg Doom, I had to go to a concert then because the Dearg Doom riff, which was played by Johnny Fean, was just captivating. I have never heard anything like it to be honest with you.

“The concert was sold out. That night it was just magic. It was an absolutely brilliant concert. I still have the original programme and ticket.

Front of the programme for Horslips' concert in Derry in August 1974.

After that, I went to every possible Horslips’ gig I could. In Derry they played in St Columb’s Hall, Rialto Entertainment Centre, Templemore Sports Complex and the Stardust. On top of that, I remember thumbing to the Culdaff Arms, the Butt Hall in Ballybofey, Borderland, the Lilac in Carndonagh, and the Ballyliffin Hotel, all around Donegal.

“There were nights me and one of my mates would be thumbing home after the concert and they would pull up in the range rover and say, ‘Get in and we’ll drop you as near to Derry as we can,’” said Jim.

Jim said he was always up at the stage at Horslips concerts back in the day “going crazy”.

“I have never experienced an atmosphere like it,” he added. “I have been to other big concerts but nothing can compare to Horslips. They were definitely the people’s band. They had no airs or graces. They weren’t aloof. They signed autographs, chatted, and signed albums. They even gave people lifts home. Barry Devlin tells stories about giving people lifts from Ballybofey into Stranorlar and thinking nothing of it.

“Horslips were a band you could enjoy and you knew you could chat to them as well.

“Their music was amazing. The very first album they recorded was  Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part. It had a unique gatefold, die-cut  album sleeve, designed by Charles O’Connor, one of the band  members. Apparently, when Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part was released, Mick Jagger gave off about the sleeve because The Rolling Stones had wanted to do something similar but hadn’t been allowed.”

Ironically, according to Jim, the Horslips’ sound engineer, Robbie McGrath, ended up becoming The Rolling Stones’ front of house sound engineer.

Ticket for August 1974 Horslips' gig in St Columb's Hall.

He added: “There was also a guy called Steve Iredale who worked for Horslips as a roadie. He went on to work for U2 for 22 years as their production manager.

Jim’s favourite Horslips album is The Táin.

“My second favourite would be The Book of Invasions which I would consider to be a work of absolute genius. All the members of Horslips, Johnny Fean, Eamon Carr, Barry Devlin and Charles O’Connor and Jim Lockhart in particular, were talented multi-instrumentalists. They could play any instrument you gave them. They had a uniqueness,” said Jim.

August '74 Horslips' St Columb's Hall programme.

“People at the time accused them of ruining the typical Irish music, which was pure violin and all that, but Horslips rocked it up and made it attractive to the younger generation.

“Unfortunately in 1980, they decided to call it a day. They had toured the US, Europe, All over Ireland for 10 years and they were burnt out.

“I still kept in touch with them. I used to work in the Rialto as a technician before I went over to the Forum as technical manager. I would say, the Horslips influence steered me in the direction of working in the entertainment industry, albeit backstage,” said Jim.

It was while working in the Rialto JIm had the germ of an idea to put on an exhibition of Horslips’ memorabilia in Derry.

August '74 Horslips' St Columb's Hall programme.

“We had a lot of posters for their gigs there and the manager used to get them framed. He asked me to put them up around the foyer. I also had a whole load of Horslips’ posters in the house because every gig I went to, I used to get one of the posters and get the band to sign it, which they gladly did,” said Jim.

“Little did I know at the time that all those years later they would be used in an exhibition. In 2002, Jim Lockhart put me in touch with  Paul Callaghan from Cavan who had every Horslips’ vinyl, from Germany, America, Australia. So we got together.

“We definitely did not know what was going to happen after the exhibition, for which we actually got acetate singles of Horslips music from Russia.

August '74 Horslips' St Columb's Hall programme.

“I was up in Jim Lockhart’s house in Dublin in 2002 and Barry Devlin and Eamon Carr were there too. That night was when the idea of having an exhibition was all decided. I said I would love to do an exhibition if they okayed it and promised to open it. They agreed. Barry Devlin actually said if they would allow anyone to do it, I would be the person.

“By late 2003 all the exhibits were nearly amassed. Horslips even gave me some of their stage clothes for the exhibition. Barry Devlin  had a shamrock bass guitar, made by John Birch who made guitars for all top stars, which he loaned me too. Complete with a programme from the original St Columb’s Hall Horslips’ gig, the exhibition opened in the Orchard Gallery, which is situated under the Hall,” reminisced Jim.

About a month before the exhibition Jim rang Jim Lockhart one Saturday afternoon looking for something.

“And I heard music in the background which I recognised right away. And Jim said to me, ‘Do you recognise that?’ and I said, ‘I do’. Well, Horslips were only rehearsing to play at the opening of the Derry Exhibition,” said Jim.

“They were planning to do four numbers and I was sworn to secrecy. On the night, RTÉ, UTV, and the BBC turned up. The media coverage was phenomenal.

“And, lo and behold, after that Horslips decided playing together had actually gone well. They hadn’t played together for 24 years but Playing in Derry re-ignited the spark. They subsequently went on to play the O2, the Odyssey in Belfast, the US, and Europe, They also brought out a DVD called The Return of the Dancehall Sweethearts. Bono was interviewed on the DVD and I was also delighted to be asked to appear on it. After that they got Mark Cunnningham to write their biography.

“Derry was the catalyst for us getting Horslips back together,” said Jim with satisfaction.
In 2020, Jim announced two Horslips fundraising concerts in aid of the Derry charity Destined. The tickets sold out within two hours.

“Unfortunately Johnny took sick and covid kicked in so I had to cancel that and unfortunately Johnny passed away,” said Jim.

“He was only 71, the baby of the band.

“His legacy is his fantastic guitar playing,” said Jim. “He was up there with Rory Gallagher. He was also a really great singer.

August '74 Horslips' St Columb's Hall programme.

“Barry Devlin described Johnny as ‘the sweetest man in rock and roll you could ever meet’. He was humble, quiet, shy, an absolute gentleman.

August '74 Horslips' St Columb's Hall programme.

“Growing up he got lessons from Ted Fury. He was in other bands in his younger days until Horslips came calling because Declan Sinnott, who played with Christy Moore, left the band and they needed a guitarist.

“Interestingly, when Horslips was recording the Táin album, over in Manor House in Oxford in 1973, a young fella who was in the studio at night sweeping up asked them if they would mind listening to some music he was putting together in the studio. The young fella was Mike Oldfield and the album was the legendary Tubular Bells.”