Yesterday I was extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Mully. Our paths first crossed on a long weekend in June 1989 when The Stranglers played a handful of consecutive dates across the UK and Ireland. I was 21 then and had never encountered anyone from Belfast, so Mully was quite exotic as far as my world view from Sussex was concerned!. Then as now I was fascinated by the Troubles and he in turn was always happy to accommodate my many questions on the topic. Of course our paths continued to cross on many, many occasions in the years that followed and it was always a joy to see him.
Two particular memories came to mind yesterday when I was thinking about Mully. One was in a hotel somewhere in the Lowlands. Mully had I believe enjoyed something herbal earlier in the day and when we met him in the hotel lift, he remarked that it was great that the lift announcements were made in a Belfast accent... the reality was that Mully was repeating the announcements floor by floor!
On another occasion we were enjoying a pre-gig beer in a pub garden in Frome, prior to a performance at the Cheese and Grain. It was a sunny day and most drinkers were in the pub garden. In such a location the announcement to evacuate the pub and garden as a result of a bomb-scare was very much unanticipated. As people complied, whilst moaning about lost drinking time, I remember an ebullient Mully running around amongst the bemused evacuees laughing in his unmistakable way and loudly declaring in his broad Belfast accent 'This has got nothing to do with me!'
Farewell then Mully, it was a pleasure!
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