Christy Dignam RIP

I can remember seeing "Loving me Lately" on Saturday Beatbox (?) on rte television, and immediately noticed this lads voice singing " i walk with this fear alone"... such power and emotion...

Then "This Is" was around, and "Crazy World" ..... I was a big fan since then, and even when Dignam&Goff were going.

I was lucky enough to see them a few times (not enough) over the years, and the last time was on a beach in Lismore , Co Waterford.

We were delighted

to meet the man himself and get a pic with him and my two kids.

Aslan's Live in Vicar St cd was ALWAYS on in our car when we travelled around on day trips, as the 4 of us sang along and mimicked Christys actions...

My two lads still listen (on spotify now though) to their songs. Surely an indication of how great their songs are and will be.

Rest easy Christy, a true Irish music legend. RiP.

A genuine talent and an absolute gentleman to go with it.

When he was first diagnosed he wasn't up to doing the big Aslan gigs but he took on a few small nights with just himself and Joe Jewell backing him on guitar to keep the bills paid. The president of a sports club I help out behind bar in got wind of it and managed to book him for a night. We kept the bar closed during the performance, only re-opening for an intermission halfway through their set so the members refresh their glasses while Christy took a breather. He gave a mesmerising performance, full of anecdotes and stories between their hits, a few of their lesser known songs and a couple of traditional covers (Green Fields of France was one of the hightlights)

We learned later that he was so appreciative of our efforts to accommodate his illness and the respect shown to the performers by closing the bar that he'd told quite a few other artists and we've gone from having the occasional cover act to managing to book some of the biggest names on the Irish music scene off the back of that praise over the past few years. They played for us again back in 2019 and the tickets were sold out in minutes.

A surprising anecdote he told on one of those nights: despite probably being almost better known as a drug addict than a performer he was never a drinker of alcohol.

Remember one of the shows I saw them and just as 'Loving Me Lately' was starting someone fell in the front row and Christy stopped the song to make sure the fan was OK before restarting

Shows what kind of gent he was

Best of luck to your Dad.

Not that I want to send anyone to this trash website but what he said is outlined at https://extra.ie/2023/06/14/entertainment/dave-fanning-aslan-christy-dignam

I wounder does Dave Fanning consider himself as having 'made it'. He'd be nothing without his friendship with Bono and U2.

I wasn't a huge Aslan fan but saw them a few times and every gig was brilliant. They had a hardcore group of fans who seemed to follow them everywhere. I had friends who would travel all over the country to watch them. At one gig I was working backstage and Christy was there and he was very polite and quiet with no airs and graces and was chatting away before he went on stage.

There's one story he told (I think on the Late Late Show) that summed up some of the sh1te he had to deal with. He was in a Taxi heading to RTE I think and the taxi driver mentioned that Christy Dignam was on the Late Late Show that night and then launched into a tirade against Dignam saying they grew up together and were best friends when younger and now Dignam was this and that and too big for his boots, etc etc - As Christy said when he told the story, he never met the taxi driver in his life ever and the driver hadn't even recognised him.

Done the 'irish Rock n roll experience' a few years back and the video of 'this is' is included so that must of attracted internationally

What’s changed since then that there’s not really any or many Irish bands now?

If they had one song that should have been a huge international hit for me it was Where's The Sun. I wouldn't rank Crazy World as one of their best and I don't think they did either.

I think if Dave Fanning was a young kid now he’d probably be diagnosed as somewhere on the spectrum.

As far as Daves concerned Christy Dignam was a moderately talented singer songwriter who was inclined to over share (probably the best way of putting it) and Dave wouldn’t know how to dress that up on the radio in a way that wouldn’t offend Christys fans.

He was equally frank when Gerry Ryan died. And he was a good friend of Gerry’s.

Dave is the go to person for RTÉ for pop music items because pop music is a science to him.

Was never a fan, but I saw them put on a free gig at the back of the Ilac Centre in 1988. They put on a great show in fairness, even if they made no money out of it.

A terrific tribute to a terrific talent that has meant so much to so many people.

The music carried me to safety through some very dark times. 'Gotta make it' having a particular poignancy for me.

His talent has touched so many people's lives. Gone but never forgotten. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Fair dues to the people of Finglas, they gave him a great send off.