Dancehouse Theatre Manchester October 2011
Tommy Tiernan - Who's he? I wasn't familiar with his work when my assist Andy and I travelled across from Holyhead to Ireland then drove across to Galway on the West coast in March 2004. I'd done some shots of his then manager's other acts Alan Carr and Johnny Vegas (wonder what happened to them?) so had been put forward for the job. I was soon to be put right...
Tommy had an idea that he wanted to swing an axe on a high rock, he though it would make a strong visual image for his upcoming tour poster, problem was, he didn't own one. So.. we walked into a pub on the waterfront, and Tommy asked the barman, he didn't suppose that there was a pick axe on the premises. "Jesus! It's Tommy Tiernan!" came the reply! The occupants of the bar raised their lunchtime glasses and Tommy had to do his duty, smile and shake hands and pose for a photo with a couple of girls... Perhaps this fella was somebody after all...
Wherever we went over the next two days and then the following year, the folk of Ireland adored him, and very quickly I realised why. There are brilliant story tellers in comedy - Dylan Moran, Dara O'Briain and Daniel Kitson are three of the best in the world for me, but Tommy is just something else again!
It would be four years before our paths would cross, Mick Perrin (now there's a man who knows a thing or two about comedy) had brought together Dylan Moran, Ardal O'Hanlon and Tommy for a show at the newly opened Echo Arena in Liverpool. The show entitled 'Three Fellas' later toured the US and received rapturous reception.
Again in 2011 Mick Perrin put his money where his heart was and put Tommy on the bill with Ross Noble and Eddie Izzard at Laughs In The Park. Tommy and I chatted onstage after his soundcheck that afternoon, he was a little worried Would the huge festival crowd warm to him. He needn't have - he blew two of the world's finest improvisers off the stage that weekend! As his first set finished I raced around the back of the stage to congratulate him. I have a lovely photo of Tommy emerging from the back of the scaffolding, waving at me down on the ground. "That was bloody brilliant" I shouted upwards. Tommy grinned from ear to ear, "Ahhh, I heard you laughing Andy, thank you!" came the reply.
The above shot from the Dancehouse in Manchester sums Tommy up for me, it's a live shot, Tommy is telling a story about his disabled brother and a family of monkeys. He's whispering here, and anyone who was there that night will back me up - he had the whole audience - front to back - in the palm of his hand.
Go see that fella, he's pure class!