EP20 - The Clock Comes Down the Stairs by Microdisney

To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited

Season 1 ends with the story of Microdisney. For this episode I revisit Iron Fist in Velvet Glove - the story of Microdisney, my documentary from 2017. It tells how Cathal Coughlan and Sean O’Hagan met in Cork at a New Year’s Eve party in 1979 and formed a band. Microdisney went through several incarnations before Cathal and Sean upped sticks to London in July 1983. Over the course of the next five years they released two albums on Rough Trade Records and a further two on Virgin Records before disbanding in 1988. One of those records was 1985’s The Clock Comes Down the Stairs. The album topped the UK Indie Charts upon its release and has regularly featured at the top of “the best Irish album of all time” lists. Contributors include the members of Microdisney and key figures in their story including: Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens), Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Richard Boon (New Hormones), Elvera Butler (Downtown Kampus at the Arcadia in Cork), Jamie Lane (producer of The Clock) and many more. Cathal Coughlan sadly passed away on 18 may, 2022 and this Episode is dedicated to his memory. Episode notes are here.