This week Miriam O Callaghan meets musician Gavin Friday and his friend artist Guggi. Gavin is marking the release of catholic , his first album in sixteen years. He is also playing this year's Electric Picnic.
Both men grew up on Cedarwood Road in Dublin. As a young teenager, Guggi spotted this interesting-looking kid from the other end of the road and tried to find out who he was. But Gavin knew exactly who Guggi was – the Rowans were known for the old cars outside their home, the ten children who lived there and their religion - the family were Plymouth Brethern.
They explain how Cedarwood Road is in Ballymun or Glasnevin North as it became known. Ballymun and Finglas were close by.
Eventually, Gavin overcame his shyness to become friends with Guggi and his brother Strongman and their friend Paul Hewson who lived across the road.
Music was their bond. Gavin explains how as a teenager, music was his best friend. They were different from all the other kids who wanted to play football.
As teenagers, they gave each other nick names. To this day, Gavin, Guggi and Bono still use the names they gave each other.
Both men talk about the experience of being in the punk band The Virgin Prunes. Guggi was eventually fired from the band because he didn’t attend rehearsals, preferring to paint instead.
Through travelling with the Virgin Prunes throughout Europe, both men learnt about art by visiting the galleries in the cities where they performed. And as he became disillusioned with the post punk music scene, Gavin discovered the work of Jacques Brel whose work pre dates rock and roll. Through hearing him and Kurt Weill in their native languages, Gavin became interested in cabaret.
Gavin reflects on his relationship with his father. It was a difficult relationship, resolved before he died six years ago. It caused him to be very tough and very driven. Guggi explains the relationship he had with his father and tells Miriam about his enduring Christian faith.
They reflect on what they have learnt about friendship over the years. Their friendship remains very close, but requires hard work!
My guests this morning have been friends for forty years, having grown up on the same road in Dublin. As very young men, they formed a band called The Virgin Prunes. But by 1989 both men had left the band – but not before achieving cult success across Europe!
Since then, Guggi has returned to his first love which is art. He is now an internationally recognised artist whose work is held in collections around the world. His next exhibition opens at the Freies Museum Berlin as part of the World Peace Festival 2011.
Gavin Friday recently released his new album called Catholic. He has enjoyed a wide a varied career as the composer of soundtracks for films like Disco Pigs or In the Name of the Father; he has performed in cabaret, toured the sonnet s of Shakespeare with the Royal Shakespeare Company - and his latest album is the first in sixteen years.