Carmody and Jones

Our Fight Against Fame

August 31, 2011 by Dermot Carmody

Andy Warhol once opined that we would all be famous for fifteen minutes. This was an excellent notion, but like all Warhol’s policy initiatives, was all Big Idea and no nitty-gritty scheduling. He provided no specific instructions on how we were to become famous or even in which area of endeavour we were to concentrate our efforts. We were left to guess wildly and hope we weren’t asleep or in the shower when our fifteen minute slot came around.

In the case of Carmody & Jones, aside from a nagging feeling that, rather than seeking renown as musical comedians, we should really be making appetisers, we have also been hampered by a native talent for anonymity. We have a keen instinct for consistently placing ourselves fleetingly in the peripheral vision of the public. As public performers, our heady mix of modesty, obscurity and subtlety has tended moderate our profile somewhat. Thus we can only claim ever to have been a household name in Ireland for one weekend in late 2009 when we toyed with the idea of calling the act “Tea & Toast”.

We have never given up trying and we have never given up failing. Our TV proposals for a reality show where the contestants have to stand at a bus stop for a week did not provide a platform for great fame. Our attempt to circumnavigate the M50 in a Volvo estate failed to capture the public imagination. On three occasions, Premier League Footballers spurned our easy availability and would not supply us with the oxygen of a decent kiss and tell story.

And so we come back time and again to plan A: Singing Funny Songs. You can hear them tonight at The Comedy Cellar and later in the evening at The Brownbread Mixtape. The theme for the latter’s mix of comedy, poetry and musical performances on this occasion is “Fame”. 

Once again we have been tragically mis-cast.

Carmody & Jones play The Comedy Cellar @ The International Bar Wicklow St. and also The Brownbread Mixtape session @ The Stags Head tonight, Wed August 31st.