The Monkees
Saturday 30th March 2002
Vicar Street
Dublin



I arrived in town by bus and joined Dr. J in the Steps of Rome (he was finishing a meal). We were going to see The Monkees, albeit just Micky and Davy. I guess if I had to choose which of the two Monkees would be best suited to a duo, it would be them.

We walked to Vicar Street, cutting down every bad shortcut and alley we could find. On time, we waited in the Bar for Miss Cats and Gerry, who were parking their german made car somewhere outside.

The gig turned out to be seated, so we choose our metal table from the others bolted to the floor. The crowd looked a bit strange, which might have been expected. Whilst waiting we picked out the people in garbadine coats who were spies. After a while the backing band came out and played a couple of start up songs, oozing the air of session musicians oddly placed on the Vicar Street Stage. We listened strangely to a Monkees Medley and waited for the boys....

Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones came on. We were happy. They were dressed to show and in excellent form. We sat along as they played through the selection of the Monkees favourites everyone had come to hear. Occasionally one would leave for a break and the other would cover. They had plenty of banter and jokes to keep up smiling and interested all the way through. We were even treated to the tunes we thought they might not play: Nesmith's "Listen to the Band" & "Circle Sky", and the fantastic "Porpoise Song", of which we seemed the sole recognisers. And they had an attentive audience, including Elvis Costello (hinted at during the warm up tunes), Cait O'Riordain, Billy Bob Thornton, and The Strokes.

So we listened to the band, and they counted down through an encore until they played no more. Davy and Micky waved and said goodbye, and left me wondering at seeing two guys who did look older, but who seemed still to be having the time of their lives.

We stood up, missed some promptly distributed set-lists, didn't really mind, and went to see if we could meet and greet with Dr. J's musical Godfather - Elvis Costello.

After some this and that, quick glancing and thinking he'd gone, we waited out on the street chatting amongst the four of us. Dr. J was excitable in anticipation of a hello (and perhaps a quick photograph via my pocketed camera). The flash was on, and Elvis soon reappeared. For a moment I was worried, as a drunken man went looking for something from EC. Then Dr. J, as politely as he could, made his plea. Elvis Costello is a very, very nice man, so he was all too willing. I snapped off a single shot, not wanting to intrude further with a second. Dr. J said goodbye to him, I nodded, smiled and waved slightly, and Mr. Costello and Cait (his very lovely lady who used to play excellent bass with the Pogues) headed off down the road.

We went to the autobahnmobil of Gerry and Miss Cats, hopped in, and they dropped me to an electric train. They would go on for food, and whilst driving we looked again at the picture of Dr. J with Mr. C, which seemed to have turned out quite nicely.

I never would have thought, sitting in the sitting room all those years ago on Saturday mornings, that I would have seen Monkees play twice.


and don't forget to read the other Monkees story...

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