Joey Cashman: vocals, sax
Sarge O’Hara: keyboards
Paul Aungier: guitar
Ray Harford: bass
Kevin Leake: drums
Kevin Leake remembers:
I joined Fast Skirts sometime in about 1981. It must have been close to Feb’81 because The Stardust Fire had occurred about the same time. I link the two events together for no significant reason other than at our first rehearsal after the fire, Joey, attired in Black leather Biker type bolero jacket, stripped jumper, black jeans and trademark Silver Docks was commenting IN HIS OWN WAY on the link between the tragedy and the number of songs with words Fire in them. Disco Inferno or Comon Baby Light My Fire were ones mentioned/ hummed.
Joey was the ‘main man’ in the band - Vocals and Sax - and as vocalist was the Frontman on stage. He gave it his all. He probably regularly comments still that he believes in SAX before marriage. (Sex before marriage in those days was still a bit taboo, hence the joke, seems silly by todays standards). Joey’s Dub, with well-off Howth roots. Punk in Dublin was mostly the preserve of well-off South Dublin kids and spread to the tiny bastion of well-off people on Dublins Northside, mostly Howth. He aint no spring chicken. I was playing with FS when I was 20. He was probably late 20's, seemed to be a good bit older than me. I wonder does he still listen to Bow Wow Wow - time was they were a fave band of his. Joey was working on SOUND and driving an old Merc Van for numerous bands at this time, so when we supported bands it was generally because Joey was doing SOUND for the main act. The great thing about this was that we always got a “GOOD SOUND”. The order of the day was for the support band to get a lousey sound so they wouldn’t upstage the main outfit.
On keyboards [Fender Rhodes and I think a Moog of some sort] was SARGE. I never knew him as anything else. He was a big fan of the Stranglers. Himself and Joey seemed tight and I’m sure were on many an occassion, in the intoxicated sense of the word.
There was a bloke called Paul (Aungier may have been his surname). Again not a big mixer but seemed to gel with Joey and Sarge.
On Bass was Ray Harford from Howth. He was easy going, maybe too easy as he often liked to have a Large Bottle during rehearsal. Don’t think this impressed Joey too much.
We had a weekly rehearsal in a garage at the rear of cottages on Pidgeon House Road, Ringsend, Dublin. I think the Atrix or some such band let Joey use it. No heat or indeed any comforts, just a Garage. Cement floor and piles of electrical wire. There wasn’t much chat at rehearsal and if the truth be told the band was SPLIT (not in any confrontational way). There was Sarge and Joey; Me and Ray; and Paul, he not seeming to be in any camp.
On one occasion Joey turned up with some new gear for the band. An electronic guitar tuner. very modern for 1981. He “acquired it via Waltons Music Shop” he mentioned. Not much use to me. I just did my best as an average drummer with what I think was a Maxwin (by Pearl) drum Kit.
Fast Skirts didn’t do a lot of gigs when I was in it. It folded when Joey and Sarge moved over to DC Nien / Tokyo Olympics. As I recall Joey's kinda hung with DC Nien. They were a noteworthy band of Dublin at the time. Played college gigs etc. Getting a band off theh ground in Dublin of 1970, or 80's was impossible. Gear was expensive and venues crap. Most bands, even the good ones perished. The LookaLikes showed promise as did a Rock outfit called Stryder and Mama's Boys. So did the Blades, Rockey Devalera and the Grave Diggers, Bogey Boys and Stagalee. They all foundered. Even I recall that the Cranberries almost called it a day after losing a record contract. They were later 80's I think and just got lucky.
Though we made a few enjoyable appearances. Enjoyable for me. Dunno about the audience, but what the Heck !!! I think they had a few drummers before me, but I was the best, only because I always showed for Practice.
I was also out to prove a few “Posers” were wrong to throw me out of my first ever rock band. Can’t remember what they were called, but they replaced me with Dave Hardy, now a jazz and session drummer of note. Alas this Drummer had massive talent while the rest of the outfit were .. let us say.. sadly lacking in ability. Like many bands, they lasted only one Gig.
Fast Skirts’ gigs (supports ) that spring to mind are McGonagles, The Ivy Rooms and The Summit Inn Howth. Don’t recall who we played support to in McGonagles, but in the Ivy Rooms we supported the Departure. In the Summit Inn, it was the Spies whose guitarist was Gerry Leonard. I believe Gerry played Guitar on one of David Bowies recent albums.
Gigs were good fun and often preceeded by Blacktower Wine and a Joint. I was a driver so a bit too responsible to partake. Indeed I was way too conservative for Fast Skirts.
We played a reggag Punk sort of thing. Not like the Police, but Trad Punk mixed with Trad Reggae. I have to say it is a good mix. To add a bit of umph to the sound Joey liked to mike the snare drum with a mike above and below it.
Alas all good things come to an end and all that I was left with after the FS folded was memories and one Advertisement Card Joey got printed up. The card was black with words Fastskirts printed in white. I have just one left somewhere at home.