Ah poor Christie !

How Soon Is Now

Some ****e band that's only heard on the likes on FM104 or 98fm living off of one or two generic songs that were probably never played outside of Ireland.


If ya seen auld Christie on any given day over the years you would think he was just some random junkie walking the streets. Sure, look at the head on him.

mickdw

insert name here 123 wrote: »

He lives in a home worth (at current market values) around 450k. Drives a nice 142D merc, was on the "living with lucy" a while back, another pay check along with the indo story.

Regardless of illness or age, begging to the taxpayer for funds is enough to get peoples backs up.

Meh....

Why doesn't he set up a go fund me page? if each fan gave a euro 💶

He is sick - id give him a free pass - there should be enough supports for him to live reasonably but saying that, at his age he should have his mortgage paid but he was too ****ed up with drugs in his younger days.
What i cant understand is Mary Coughlan. Claiming she was entitled to nothing during the lockdown. Now, every self employed person got the pup so i dont know what the story is.

How Soon Is Now

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

Some ****e band that's only heard on the likes on FM104 or 98fm living off of one or two generic songs that were probably never played outside of Ireland.


If ya seen auld Christie on any given day over the years you would think he was just some random junkie walking the streets. Sure, look at the head on him.

Crazy world was a big hit on MTV in the early 90s. They would've been as big as U2 if he hadn't got fcuked up

Burt Renaults

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

If ya seen auld Christie on any given day over the years you would think he was just some random junkie walking the streets. Sure, look at the head on him.

I don't think any decent human being would think that.

BorneTobyWilde

Seems like a good guy who has continued to tour even in his condition. I think he had every right to get a grant. Don't understand the hate for someone who is penniless and has cancer, but that's typical Irish people.
Tubirdy is happy to book him on the Late Late over and over and over, but Tubirdy would not throw him a euro if he saw him in the gutter.
Bono is another tax dodging twat who again would not help him.

trashcan

Bobblehats wrote: »

This is? Crazy world.

Yep, those are the two.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Burt Renaults wrote: »

I don't think any decent human being would think that.

I think its if you didn't know who he was.

Reading the article quotes from Christie I have to be honest I thought he was better spoken but I was wrong...

So if you didn't know him from Adam, you see him on the street for the first time and hear him speak then yeah I can see what this poster means

Like I say I don't hate the guy but I think if he's willing to tour the country gigging then surely he'd be ok to work some form of job to help pay the bills. I just don't like the mentality of government should just hand him a grant because of who he is.

gifted

gifted wrote: »

He's terminally ill for an awful awful long time?

Ah now, that's pretty ignorant. Someone can have final stage cancer and still live for years, but even though they're alive, it's gruelling chemo which keeps them alive, so it's a tough road much of the time - and until pain becomes too much, they'll want to keep going - survival instinct.

How Soon Is Now

How Soon Is Now wrote: »

Some ****e band that's only heard on the likes on FM104 or 98fm living off of one or two generic songs that were probably never played outside of Ireland.


If ya seen auld Christie on any given day over the years you would think he was just some random junkie walking the streets. Sure, look at the head on him.

All that rambling crap tells me is you know SFA of the music scene in Ireland in the 80’s and 90’s.

Burt Renaults

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I think its if you didn't know who he was.

Reading the article quotes from Christie I have to be honest I thought he was better spoken but I was wrong...

So if you didn't know him from Adam, you see him on the street for the first time and hear him speak then yeah I can see what this poster means

Like I say I don't hate the guy but I think if he's willing to tour the country gigging then surely he'd be ok to work some form of job to help pay the bills. I just don't like the mentality of government should just hand him a grant because of who he is.

Regardless of knowing who he is, decent people don't dismiss other human beings as "random junkies" based on their appearance.

I think you're underestimating how difficult it might be for a terminally ill 61-year-old professional musician, currently undergoing chemotherapy, to get any sort of job.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Like I say I don't hate the guy but I think if he's willing to tour the country gigging then surely he'd be ok to work some form of job to help pay the bills. I just don't like the mentality of government should just hand him a grant because of who he is.

C'mon man - there are enough posts explaining why getting a job is highly unlikely to be an option. There are employers who consider late 30s too old. The guy is over two decades older than that. That's without his serious illness and treatment. Be honest and realistic.

He's not looking for support because of who he is, but because of his circumstances. I dislike self entitlement too but this isn't a situation like that - this is someone who really needs help.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Lurleen wrote: »

C'mon man - there are enough posts explaining why getting a job is highly unlikely to be an option. There are employers who consider late 30s too old. The guy is over two decades older than that. That's without his serious illness and treatment. Be honest and realistic.

He's not looking for support because of who he is, but because of his circumstances. I dislike self entitlement too but this isn't a situation like that - this is someone who really needs help.

I get that it's not going to be the easiest for him

But surely going around with the same old songs for 20 years he should realize that it wasn't gonna last forever ? Surely he'd have a rainy day fund for when the music money dries up.

This guy is yes 61 at the moment, he's been making decent money for over 20 years, surely he could've saved a few euro for the likes of this and also have some form of back up plan ?

A lot of people have back up plans for work etc, rainy day funds etc. But I get the impression he was trying to live the rock and roll life based on very little.

I'm not dismissing his illness either btw, but if he actively wants to tour the country and continue doing gigs then surely there are jobs he can do ? I'm sorry if that's cruel to you but I used to see it all the time the likes of Tesco taking on people with disabilities etc and giving them work etc. If things are that bad then I don't see why not ? Surely working a till sitting down won't be as bad on him as doing a gig where he needs more energy ?

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I get that it's not going to be the easiest for him

But surely going around with the same old songs for 20 years he should realize that it wasn't gonna last forever ? Surely he'd have a rainy day fund for when the music money dries up.

This guy is yes 61 at the moment, he's been making decent money for over 20 years, surely he could've saved a few euro for the likes of this and also have some form of back up plan ?

A lot of people have back up plans for work etc, rainy day funds etc. But I get the impression he was trying to live the rock and roll life based on very little.

I'm not dismissing his illness either btw, but if he actively wants to tour the country and continue doing gigs then surely there are jobs he can do ? I'm sorry if that's cruel to you but I used to see it all the time the likes of Tesco taking on people with disabilities etc and giving them work etc. If things are that bad then I don't see why not ? Surely working a till sitting down won't be as bad on him as doing a gig where he needs more energy ?

Maybe Tesco could give him a few hours a week on a zero day contract

insert name here 123

mickdw wrote: »

He is sick - id give him a free pass - there should be enough supports for him to live reasonably but saying that, at his age he should have his mortgage paid but he was too ****ed up with drugs in his younger days.
What i cant understand is Mary Coughlan. Claiming she was entitled to nothing during the lockdown. Now, every self employed person got the pup so i dont know what the story is.

Of course, his illness is terrible and hope he recovers. Just the 300e thing (rolleyes) for fecks sake, I doubt it very much he is on the bread line and only 300e to his name.

Looking for the sympathy vote. Good band with potential, demons came calling and unfortunately the band suffered.

I do remember him giving an interview with Ivan Yates, he was very honest then and didn't shy away from any questions. I think think he is a decent chap, but less of the shute talk.

Beechwoodspark

His book from around 2000 or so about his life is very good

Touring would be his choice. A job would be a hiring manager's choice. What jobs would a person in their early 60s in very poor health requiring a high level of absenteeism be able to obtain?

Whether he saved for a rainy day or not is irrelevant - it's his situation now which counts. I'm glad to live in a society that will help those in need.

Meeoow

I agree with a lot of what he said in the article. Fair play, they stayed here and paid their taxes. Respect for that.
But I don't really understand what costs they have for going back on the road. Like their instruments and gear should be fine. I assume thay have a tour bus too.
A local pub of mine got a big grant to put on some music. Apparently they will use most of it to pay musicians. So I'm wondering are they not going to charge punters in like they used to? I'm interested to see will they charge at the door too.

I like Christy.

EmmetSpiceland

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

His book from around 2000 or so about his life is very good

Wasn’t he abused as a kid and then went to talk to someone’s older brother about it and he then raped him as well? Not hard to see how the lad had his demons.

Fair play to him for getting off the heroin and getting his life back on track. Hopefully, he gets the help he needs now.

ShatterProof

Was involved in a festival couple of years back where they were due to play. Met him beforehand and he looked liked he was on deaths door. Did rehearsal and then he sat around drinking tea for a while chatting in a low almost inaudible voice. I was waiting for him to keel over. Come show time and up he’s get on stage. Within minutes he had crowd in palm of his hand. Blasting out a set of originals and cover. The man was born to perform.

Dante

Jesus OP, you are one ruthless son of a gun. The man literally looked like death last time he was on the Late Late Show. Think he had just undergone his second round of chemo in a year and had caught some infection while in hospital.

Asking him to simply 'pick up a job' while battling potentially terminal cancer is a bit much!

Heat_Wave

Incredibly vile OP

Strumms

I wish the guy the best, but that said, he’s been a professional songwriter and performer for 30 odd years.... released X number of albums, toured the world and been a success, he’s done TV and media work...sold millions in ticket sales and records...

By rights the guy should be a millionaire...or seriously comfortable at worse case... he’s been in Aslan for 33 years... a credible revenue stream from gigging, record sales, merch, streaming etc....

If he’s down to his last few euros.... that’s not exactly the public’s fault, so why do we need to facilitate and bankroll his tour ?

Church on Tuesday

Burt Renaults wrote: »

It's mentioned in the article that you linked to. I'm sure he is claiming all of those things, but that won't pay his mortgage. They're a hardworking band, Aslan, but some of the venues I've seen them in... well, I doubt they're loaded. I wouldn't begrudge them the bit of publicity.

It also doesn't help that the music business is ****ed now that people don't buy music anymore. Society needs creative people for escapism and will need them more when things, inevitably, get fairly bad again economically.

The pandemic, more to the point, has been a nightmare for artists of a certain level; those acts that simply need to tour to make a living and maybe sell the odd shirt along the way. That has been the case for years now, but if you can't tour, you are screwed. Apart from the odd royalty check, there would be next to no revenue coming in. I'm not even entirely sure Aslan own their own music.

The man is seriously ill and would still be working away touring only for the pandemic, so give the man a break. Typical Irish begrudgery.

Strumms

Strumms wrote: »

I wish the guy the best, but that said, he’s been a professional songwriter and performer for 30 odd years.... released X number of albums, toured the world and been a success, he’s done TV and media work...sold millions in ticket sales and records...

By rights the guy should be a millionaire...or seriously comfortable at worse case... he’s been in Aslan for 33 years... a credible revenue stream from gigging, record sales, merch, streaming etc....

If he’s down to his last few euros.... that’s not exactly the public’s fault, so why do we need to facilitate and bankroll his tour ?

The taxpayer has given €400k to Aiken promotions, millions of euro to more multi-millionaires running events venues and businesses. FFS, pantomimes received millions. Pantomimes and musicals.

If a hard working band like Aslan are less deserving I reckon all that says is that the government as usual is doing SFA for the working man, as usual.

John_Rambo

The performing arts were hammered by Covid like no other industry. Dignam had an awful few years as a kid but made it pretty big and is now suffering with serious ill health.

I'm not an Aslan fan, but there's no doubting their talent, I'm surprised they were refused some of the €25million available, they've always filled venues. Nasty gleeful little hand rubbing at others misery opening post.

Tilden Katz

gifted wrote: »

He's terminally ill for an awful awful long time?

I’ve been terminally ill for six years! I just happen to have eked out a lot of time from the treatments available to me before they stopped working. Others don’t get so long and it’s impossible to predict. When my treatments are exhausted, I’ll die quickly. I hate that terminally ill people are expected to die quickly. Like, sorry I haven’t shuffled off quicker. Even something like motor neurone disease, people can live for a decade or more or even do a Stephen Hawking. It’s still a terminal disease. There will always be outliers.

Tilden Katz

Tilden Katz wrote: »

I’ve been terminally ill for six years! I just happen to have eked out a lot of time from the treatments available to me before they stopped working. Others don’t get so long and it’s impossible to predict. When my treatments are exhausted, I’ll die quickly. I hate that terminally ill people are expected to die quickly. Like, sorry I haven’t shuffled off quicker. Even something like motor neurone disease, people can live for a decade or more or even do a Stephen Hawking. It’s still a terminal disease. There will always be outliers.

Maybe you should... get a job? :pac:

Tilden Katz

endacl wrote: »

Internet’s funny. I bet if you were aware of the mans situation you wouldn’t have posted the thread. It’s ok to say that and just drop it. You don’t have to maintain a position just because you went to the trouble of typing.

Like the way the real world works. We won’t judge.

People really, really hate to be wrong...

Tilden Katz

Lurleen wrote: »

Maybe you should... get a job? :pac:

Right? And the thing is, I would LOVE to be back in the workplace. I hate not working. I’d never willingly choose to be in the position I’m in.