30 years ago today – the debut of Under Clery’s Clock

30 years ago today, on 23 September 1987 (it was a Wednesday), the Radiators played Under Clery’s Clock for the first time in public. The band had reunited for a one-off gig in the Hawkins nightclub in Dublin to raise funds for AIDS.

Under Clery’s Clock was both of its time and way ahead of it. Written by Phil Chevron (who died on 8 October 2013), it condensed into just 117 words both his isolation growing up gay in Dublin in the 1960s and 1970s and — unlike many other gay songs of the time that set ambitions of coming out or escaping queer-bashing — envisioned a time of true equality: “All I want is to embrace / By the streetlight / Just like other lovers do”.

And it was comfortably Irish — Dublin, even: not only Clery’s (gone) and its famous clock (still there) or the last bus to An Lár (remember them before the electronic signs?), but also Burgh Quay (and the now gone public toilets which had been a cruising spot for gay men).

(PS: A recording was made of the 1987 gig, to help raise additional funds. I’ve not been able to find a copy. It anybody knows where I can borrow one, do pop me an email: cedarlounge.tomboktu@gmail.com)