Eoin Butler: writer, journalist and millionaire oil tycoon
Tripping Along The Ledge
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HELLO. MY NAME IS MICK PYRO. AND I AM A MASSIVE CRY BABY*
“The show will be going out live so we’ll have to ask you not to swear…” Mick Pyro and Benjamin Loose exchange bemused glances. The Republic of Loose vocalist and bass-player (respectively) have ducked out from a soundcheck in Brixton to appear on BBC Radio 6. But with Mick unused to curbing his tongue, and with most of their songs riddled with profanities, it’s going to be a tricky half hour. Already I’ve noticed his partiality for the word ‘bullshit’. He delivers it as though tasting a fine wine, rolling the first syllable around his sandpaper gullet before spitting out the second: booull-shi’. Just imagine you’re talking to your mother, I suggest. The singer looks confused. “This is how I talk to me fuckin’ mother!” Read the rest of this article here.
[Postscript: Five years after this article was published, I ran into the band again at a pre-Oscar party in the Hollywood Hills. Kate Winslet was there and that girl from Slumdog Millionaire. (Hubba hubba... but that's another story.) They were playing, I was covering the event for the Irish Times. And I was really glad to see them because I didn't know a sinner in the place. But, with the exception of Benjamin, the band completely blanked me.
According to Benjamin, and this story has since been confirmed by a mutual friend, Mick didn't want the band to speak to me because of a very mild crack I had made about his dress sense in my Shuffle column in The Ticket. ("Sometimes I suspect Republic of Loose only put out singles to showcase how many pink sports jackets singer Mick Pyro owns. The answer is: surprisingly many.") What a massive fucking baby the guy is. ]
November 24th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I think Dermot wasizname is probably a contributing factor to why the band can’t shake playing student unions and connect to a larger audience that they deserve.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Don’t think i’ve ever met anyone who actually like this guy
November 24th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
That does seem comically petty but at the same time not that surprising, from what I’ve heard of the guy.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
When you insult a man’s pink sports jacket Eoin, you have to be prepared to reap the whirlwind of his wrath. Ha ha…..
No seriously, I’m joking. The guy sounds like an insecure idiot.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
@ Y Dog – I dunno about that. I always thought Dermot was a pretty good guy.
@ EK, Han Shan, L – I think the dictionary definition of rock star is “insecure idiot” so, yeah, I probably shouldn’t have been too surprised…
November 24th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Eoin, allow me to don my pretentious wanker hat for a moment and commend you on this fine piece of rock journalism, very much in the vein of an old Rolling Stones piece. I remember it from Mongrel at the time.
I’ve met Mick a couple of times, through a connection that I won’t expand on here, as Ireland is a small place and people connected to the band are likely to read this. I’ve found him to be an amiable enough sort of guy, but a [edit: rock and roll] casualty of the highest order. I imagine that informs his paranoia and insecurity more than anything.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
That’s a fair point Andrew. TBH those criticisms spurred as much by what I know about the way he treats he works with, as they were by way he’s treated me. Also it was a good excuse to show off about my having hung out with Kate Winslet. We’re pretty tight…
November 24th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Boy starts band. Band appear with Laura Woods on the Cafe a couple of times. Boy turns into slavering, paranoid wreck…
Jesus lads, that’s one crappy episode of VH1′S Behind The Music Series for sure!
November 24th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
So this was right in the middle of Craig Charles’s taxi-crack-binge radio days?
You missed the big story, Eoin! Low budget, man, low budget!
November 25th, 2009 at 5:12 am
@ Paddy; lol man i can just hear the american voice over in my head “with a sellout show in athlone just days away, the pressure was already beginning to take its tone on mick pyro..”
November 25th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Hes from Terenure and he calls women bitches. Enough said lol.
November 25th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Careful Eoin, might set his dodgy mates on you. It happens believe me.
November 25th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Hahaha sooo good to hear someone finally give this guy some slating he deserves – all that lack of fame really gone to his head!!
November 25th, 2009 at 10:38 am
@ Andrew S – I know, it was right under my nose and I missed it. Although I do remember he was drinking cans of Fosters in the studio while on air for what that’s worth.
November 25th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Kudos, Eoin. Brilliant piece on yet another Irish band that’s ego seems to have inflated in order to fill the void left by what they feel is their entirely unjust lack of success. Or something. Can we hear more about yer one from Slumdog Millionaire? Yeh? Yeh?
November 25th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Thanks Andreas. Am… Well, she was incredibly good looking, obviously. But I hadn’t see the film, so I didn’t realise she was someone famous until Tommy Burns told me who she was. I do remember her twirling more often than a normal person would.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
That’ll do Eoin, thanks!
@jack – It does, you’re right. I’ve been that soldier.
November 25th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Hey sbulsh dont knock the pink sporst jacketma.. Serious Mick yer been a cock fucks ska mans makin a joke dont take life so serious ya know wha?
November 26th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Id’ definitely say something in Mick’s defense here but there’s not much one can say here. I’ve seen fans fellow bandmembers etc etc put up with absolute SHITE from Shane McGowen, just to take the most obvious example because at the end of the day his the guy who wrote Fairytale of New York, Pair of Brown Eyes etc etc.
But itdoesn’t work that same way if your greatest contribution to music history is Come Back Girl. Sorry but this is one so called rockstar needs to wise-up FAST.
November 28th, 2009 at 3:07 am
Awwww man. Sorry I am going to break blog etiquette, if there is such a thing, but he is a weirdo, mean, [edit: rock and roll]-addled creepazoid.
November 29th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I’m not a regular reader or commenter on your blog, but I felt moved to comment after reading your incredibly hypocritical and unnecessary postscript there. Surely you can see the irony in calling Pyro a “massive cry baby” and “oversensitive” when that is in fact what you are showing your good self to be? Oh boo hoo, a man I once interviewed didn’t deign to hang around with me at a party. Did you ever consider that he was hurt that someone he’d previously worked with would make a “throwaway” insulting comment about him on a national platform? Or maybe – and it strikes me that this wouldn’t even occur to you – just maybe he didn’t like you and didn’t want to talk to you at a party. Boo hoo indeed.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Those are some fair points Joanne. And ones I did consider already. Two quick points. First, I’ve met Mik many times over the years. We got on fine. He never had a problem with me prior to that review.
And second, I’m not pretending to be outraged, only amused at the guy’s astonishing pettiness. Come on…
five years
eight time zones
one pink sports jacket!!
November 30th, 2009 at 7:02 am
In fairness to Eoin it wasn’t hardly an “insulting” comment he made about him.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
So this whole thing is about you slagging some guy off about his clothes in a national newspaper. You see him later at some party and he doesn’t want to talk to you so you slag him off again on your blog. Are you serious?
“Astonishing pettiness” indeed.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:50 am
Fair point Darragh, I’d just refer you to my last reply to Joanne above.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:22 am
@ joanne/darragh – i’d probably have to agree wit you except for this happened in Los Angeles. come on i think if you bump into someone you know on the other side of the world i’d let bygones be bygones.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:34 am
No fuck Mick Piro, he’s an idiot.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Loved this blog comment and postscript especially. Anyone who worked with Mick as i did for years knows he treats EVERYONE he works with like SHIT.
December 5th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
IN VINO VERITAS! Aint that what they say Eoin! A few drinks to get to the essence of what must be expressed! Well have another drink Eoin if that’s what you need.Join the other hack paddies at the bar slagging off some homegrown pop star (sure who does he think he is?) with his gay(ie pink) jacket and his arrogant notions(ie originality). Another lonely sexless night in front of your computer. After a few cans the anger and self loathing starts to mount. You were at a party and no one would talk to you (wonder why), you’re an uneducated music critic who resorts to personal diatribe(wonder why), you personally attack complete strangers in your blog (wonder why). You believe you have formed meaningful personal relationships with people based on an interview (wonder why).Needless, senseless, personal attacks on musicians based on your ill informed, snapshot, knowledge of them (wonder why). Why Eoin why?
I think you know the answer. Have another drink and print this if you dare hack paddy.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
First of all, you know nothing about me. Second – lonely, sexless? Ha… This from someone (and I have a pretty good idea who) leaving blog comments at half eleven on a Saturday night.
This is what I look like….
http://www.eoinbutler.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/alternative-breakfast.jpg
Say hello next time you see me around. Otherwise get lost.
December 7th, 2009 at 4:32 am
This is my second comment on here. I’m a fan of the loose. DSeen them live numeres times love a lot of their songs especially comeback girl idiots and igrl i’m gonna fuck you up,. But Foucaut your slagging Eoin off for drinking and being Irish. Republic off loose are no different. So whats yer point?
December 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Eoin behaves like many “Paddies”. Paddies are Irish people who have massive insecurities and self loathing, they hate to see another Irish person do anything different or behave in a cocky self assured manner- this kind of psychosis is prevalent among many races that have suffered under colonialism or whose ancestors were slaves, the “uppity nigger” syndrome. Eoin shows all the classic symptoms.
As for the drinking I may be wrong but his style strikes me as no more than a drunken rant- very childish, overly personal and emotional. However these are his problems and i hope he can overcome them.
As far as slagging him off, the only reason i decided to make my comments was that he chose to publish an overtly personal, unprovoked public attack. Such rants should be reserved for the pub with “the lads”. I don’t see the necessity in publishing them. I’m sure he could have written a very witty, constructive, critical piece on the band but he didn’t.
I’m sorry and apologise if it came across that I was slagging Eoin about his personal problems or his substance abuse.I don’t wish to add to his discomfort. That was not my intention. Rather, I take issue with the content and style of his writing.
I would hope in the future he could make his prose a little more critical, humourous,stylish and reflective. I wish him all the best.
December 7th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Foucault,
I’m going to assume you’re connected to the band for two reasons.
1. You’re convinced I had drink taken when I posted that comment. Actually I’ve been on a bit of a health kick lately and haven’t drank anything stronger than Lucozade since mid September. Anyone who knows me would know that. I’ve written about it extensively on this site and elsewhere.
I did privately tell a (now ex) member of the band that I wrote the post after a few jars. That was a lie though – I just felt bad for tarring this guy (who I genuinely like) with the same brush as Mick. So your big scoop there is total bullshit.
The line about me having personal problems, substance abuse etc., meanwhile, is a complete fiction. Criticise me, fair enough. But everything I said was 100% true. And there was a lot I could have said besides that I left out. You on the other hand are just making shit up. Moreover… accusing me of alcohol and substance abuse problems? Seriously!? Your irony detectors are failing you here friend. I don’t even smoke dope. Physician – heal thyself!
2. This stuff about Paddies hating on other Paddies etc. is also clearly not something you made up on the spur of the moment. It sounds more like a well worn theory regularly trundled out to explain away why the Dublin music scene has never really embraced Republic of Loose. Actually, the reason the Dublin music scene has never really embraced Republic of Loose is because Republic of Loose are bad motherfuckers who did things their own way, never kissed up to anyone and never wanted any part of any bullshit scene.
The irony – which again you would appreciate if you were only capable of it – is that that’s precisely what I loved about the band down through the years.
This stuff about me being some embittered Paddy etc. is horseshit. I was staying in the Beverly Hilton that week with a hundred dollar a day tab paid by Paramount. Why the hell would I be embittered? I always loved the band. Still do. The review that offended Mick, let me point out yet again, was a four star review. And I’m genuinely sorry to hear about Brez and Deco quitting.
Now I tried to contact you by email to clarify things there, but you either wouldn’t reply or left a fake email address. So I’ll say it here. I thought Mick making a big deal about that pink jacket joke was not just extraordinarily childish but also hilariously funny, considering the degree of tact he typically uses in his dealings with people. But I was never hurt or offended by it. Only entertained. And I suspected (correctly it transpired) that others – particularly those who’ve been badly treated by him over the years – would find it entertaining too. But I was working, I could have cared less.
Neither does my attitude have anything to do with colonialism. (Suffering Jesus, it’s hard to know which is the more laughable – that particular theory or the fact that you call yourself Foucault…)
December 8th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Hi Eoin,
It’s not necessary to be so aggressive in tone. I can assure you that we have never met. I don’t know you personally at all.
Any comments I have made were based on your writing. I apologise if comments relating to substance abuse were unfounded. They were based on my reading of your work, an impression i had. It was wrong of me to make such allusions. Mea Culpa.
I don’t particularly want to continue with this thread and won’t trouble you with any more comments.
I hope, simply, that you might reflect a little more before publishing your work. You are undoubtedly a talented writer and I wish you and your family a happy Christmas.
All the best
December 8th, 2009 at 6:03 am
No, hang on a second. You referred to my having personal problems as fact. Then you admitted the insinuation was totally baseless. On what possible grounds do you think you can reclaim the moral high ground here? Neither have you clarified who you are or what your relationship to the band is.
Happy Christmas, your arse.
December 8th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Just to clarify- the insinuation was not baseless, but rather based on my reading of your work which I freely admit is completely subjective. I have already apologised for this.
Also I refer you to my last comment where I stated that I do not know you personally at all. As for my relationship with the band, I’m simply a fan of some of their music (not all), nothing more.
.