No sooner had the Xmas decorations been taken down than The Blades, the last vestige of one’s misspent youth, decided to call it a day with an emotional performance in the Olympic Ballroom.

With a chapter of the past closed in 1986, one looked to pastures new. The Stars Of Heaven, by far the most stimulating Irish songsters both lyrically and musically ably filled the gap on the homefront with the near immaculate ‘Sacred Heart Hotel’ mini-album and a series of excellent Baggot gigs.

While ’86 was an inconsistent year for albums the big guns REM, Elvis Costello (with not one but two fine albums) and Madonna thankfully did not disappoint. Slightly outside the mainstream, but nonetheless accessible were Nick Cave and the Feelies with their respective ‘Kicking Against The Pricks’ and ‘The Good Earth’ – albums that will endure long after 1986 is forgotten.

If nothing else 1986 will be remembered as the year of Self-Aid, a day of good will and good music, that encouraged us all to focus on the harsh realities that face the country. Cosmetic it may have been but every little bit helps. Gig wise there were many highlights; The Waterboys and The Housemartins at the Olympic, Guy Clark at the Tudor Rooms, Elvis at the Olympia, The Pogues in London on St. Patrick’s night, but the best of all the God-like Roger McGuinn at the Baggot, where grown men openly wept into their warm beer, quite shamelessly.

On the local scene it was a year of many fine singles, Aslan’s ‘This Is’ and Dorian Mood’s ‘It’s A Funny Thing’ to name but two. Bias refrains me from mentioned the other, but really it was an EP, therefore I can comfortably nominate ‘Two Chances’ from Something Happens! as EP of the Year. (That’s the plug over).

‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’ were by far the best cinema had to offer and really that’s it. 1986: More o a whisper than a scream!