“If Cypress, Mine! fit into any musical category it’s that of “modern guitar-pop”, a vague area which encompasses such diverse spirits as The Smiths, REM and Microdisney, traces of all of whom can be heard in the band’s material.”
George Byrne - Hot Press (1986)

“Exit Trashtown embodies the strong independent streak (fittingly it’s the first LP on the indie Solid label) which has taken Cypress, Mine! down their own particular course. It’s direct, it’s good, and it deserves your attention. Oh, and it boasts the nicest cover I’ve ever seen on an Irish release.”
Damian Corless - Hot Press (1987)

At the end of every episode of this podcast I’ve mentioned that the theme music – ‘Irish Rhapsody Redux’ – is by Mark Healy. Mark was the drummer in Cypress, Mine! and this episode focuses on Exit Trashtown, the band’s debut album which was released in 1988.

The band were from Cork, Ciarán Ó Tuama was the singer, Ian Olney played guitar, Dennis O’Mullane – or Skoda as he was known – was on bass and the aforementioned Mark Healy was on drums.

Ciarán, Ian and Mark join me on this episode to tell the band’s story and much more.

Morty McCarthy from The Sultans of Ping and Craig Walker from Power of Dreams also contribute their memories of Cypress, Mine! to this episode.

Cypress, Mine! formed in 1984 and in July of that year supported The Bluebells in the Atlantic Ballroom in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry.

The Bluebells were on a roll that summer. ‘Young at Heart’ reached No. 13 in the Irish Singles Chart and Sisters, the band’s debut album, had just been released: it included earlier singles ‘I’m Falling’, ‘Cath’ and ‘Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool’.

As fans of Glasgow and Edinburgh bands, and in particular the Postcard bands Josef K and Orange Juice, Cypress, Mine! hopped in a van and drove to Co. Kerry. They arrived in Ballybunion during The Bluebells’ soundcheck and blagged their way onto the bill.

It was their first gig.

The following year, on 25 August 1985, Lark By the Lee was staged during the Cork 800 festivities. The inaugural free open air concert was presented by RTÉ Radio 2 and Cork Local Radio and sponsored by Sir Henry’s.

Cypress, Mine! shared a bill with Porcelyn Tears, the Stargazers and Freddie White. The gig is best remembered for an unannounced appearance by U2:

“There’s an up and coming band coming on the stage now and playing for you, they’re called...U2”

It was the U2’s first concert since playing Live Aid at Wembley Stadium five weeks earlier on 13 July, 1985. The organisers had predicted that the gig would be, “the biggest free open air rock event ever to take place in Cork.” The following morning’s Cork Examiner estimated that around 6,000 people witnessed the gig and RTÉ later claimed over 7,000 were in attendance. By 1987 the Cork Examiner claimed that over 10,000 had been in attendance.

Cypress, Mine! toured Ireland with Blue in Heaven and Cactus World News and also supported Echo & the Bunnymen in Belfast, Aztec Camera in Dublin and Microdisney in London. After playing the Mean Fiddler’s “Irish Rock Week” in 1989 Rory Gallagher came backstage and commended Ian on his guitar work.

In late 1986 Cypress, Mine! were one of six bands featured on Comet EP One, a 12” vinyl compilation released by Brian O’Kelly of Comet Records.

Four of the six tracks can be heard below:
Track 3. Cypress, Mine! - ‘Swallow’ (06:58)
The full tracklisting is here.

Cypress, Mine! released ‘Justine’, their debut single, in December 1987. The b-side ‘Sounds Like Rain’ would also appear on the second Comet Records compilation: Comet LP Two.

The LP can be heard below.
Side 2: Track 1 - Cypress, Mine! ‘Sounds Like Rain’ (23:50)
The full tracklisting is here.

‘Justine’ was followed in March 1988 with ‘In the Big House’.

Exit Trashtown, the band’s debut album followed two months later in May. “As formidable a debut rock and roll album as U2’s Boy and the Radiators From Space debut album,” declared the Cork Examiner.

The band’s third single, ‘The Sugar Beat God’ (produced by U2’s sound engineer Joe O’Herlihy) arrived in July 1988.

I’ve previously written about ‘The Sugar Beat God’ and what it means to me (Top 10 Irish Songs). I never got to see Cypress, Mine! live but after seeing a video for ‘The Sugar Beat God’ on TV I went out and bought the 7”.

As I wrote in the above blog post, whenever it’s a really hot day I inevitably end up at some point letting out a screech:

“The heat is MURDEROUS, this summer’s got to end.”

I’ve been doing this for 37 years. I’ve already done it this year, just a few weeks ago.

Right now there are two copies of this gem on sale on Discogs. One Irish seller has a NM/VG+ copy going for €84 and a UK seller has a VG copy in a plain paper sleeve priced at £120.

If someone offered me £120 for my copy I might be a little tempted…

But actually, come to think of it, I wouldn’t take the money.

Why?

Because ‘The Sugar Beat God’ is fantastic and I love it, it’s one of my favourite tunes by any Irish band, ever.

“It’s not paved with gold, this “smoggy centre of activity” called London”

In this episode I asked if Cypress, Mine! ever thought about moving to London. Ciarán mentions that in the back of his mind he remembered reading a letter by Five Go Down to the Sea’s Finbarr Donnelly in the Evening Echo about how London’s streets were not paved with gold. Donnelly’s full letter can be read below.

For Further Listening:

Exit Trashtown is available on Bandcamp.

For Further Reading:
Various Cypress, Mine! articles, reviews and features (click on each image to enlarge).