Cork music community rocks to remember James Spillane 

The Cork rock music scene will be meeting to celebrate the memory of one of their own on Saturday, when musicians and bands who all had a connection to the late James Spillane will be playing in Crane Lane.

Liam O’Shea, the frontman of The Grunts – James’ last ‘main band’ – had known him for a long time before they first played together, and like many Irish friendship stories both their mammies were involved.

“We actually go back to the 1970s. James was an older kid who lived at the top of Highfield Avenue in Bishopstown. He was five years older than me, and was always the cool guy to hang around. My mum and his mum were the closest friends as well so there was a lot of calling around. Alas my seven-year-old vibe and his more sophisticated 12 one didn’t really gel back then. They moved in the early 1980s and it wasn’t till 2005 that I bumped into him again. It was a sunny day at the Wilton shopping centre, I was bringing the shopping to the car and his car was across the way from mine. I had heard of him many times through my mum and his mum, so I’d been aware of his ‘lore’!  We started chatting and he said he still played drums and we arranged a jam and that was the starting point. The first jam was arranged and I quickly made a hurried set of phone calls and The Grunts was suddenly reformed! We started jamming in a record studio ran by Finnie Corkery of the Belsonic Sound Fame in Douglas and it was great fun.”

There was both an immediate musical and personal connection according to Liam.

“From the earliest days of the band we got on like a house on fire and each gig and practice were eagerly looked forward to. His drum style was military with a punk energy, there was John Bonham, Keith Moon, Neil Peart, Ringo Starr and even Dave Grohl to be heard as influences in James’ eclectic style of playing.”

It was more than his musicianship that Liam treasured.

“James possessed an amazing sense of humour, he would crack the wittiest of jokes and leave the room in tears at times. He also was a great organiser and a possessor of a great intellect which rallied many people around him. He was a skilled coordinator and had his timings down to the seconds. We noticed everything was scheduled. He would clap his hands at the end of a jam and say ‘right lads, I must go’. There was never a practice session booked for a Sunday night as that was his down time. He had a great knowledge of punk music, loving Stiff Little Fingers, The Sex Pistols and early U2. Actually we used to think he was like Larry Mullen but with a Cork accent! We had many fun times…”

Many of those fun memories gigging with James will no doubt be shared on the night. Some that Liam mentioned to echolive.ie include: “We played gigs not only in Cork but we also travelled to diverse places like London, New York, even Malaga! James put The Grunts show on the road. He was the organiser, mentor… and disciplinarian if we were late. Everything was scheduled, musicians can be very disorganised but James made it happen. In New York we played legendary venues like Trash bar in Brooklyn, The Bowery Electric and Arlene’s Grocery.”

The band also made sure to give other acts a chance to be seen and heard.

“We also ran our own band night in the city for a few years. It was called ‘Later With The Grunts’ in the Roundy Bar. We had the idea of using the internet to interview people abroad and project it on the screen in the pub. James was a brilliant chat show host. He handled the interviews in a suit and a microphone, interviewing artists in places like New York and Sydney.”

Despite the momentum James brought, when illness struck music had to be put on the back burner.

Liam continued: “Everything just stopped, despite all the amazing energy he had on stage he had a weakness in his lungs. In the winter of 2024 he came down with a bad flu and went into the Bons for care. I even brought the Beano annual and chocolates for him to cheer him up. Despite the care of the professionals he succumbed to his illness on the 14th of March 2025; 3.14: the number of Pi; the beat of the universe.”

With that in mind the proceeds from the night will go to an apt charity.

“The gig is a benefit for the Irish Lung Foundation. It promises to be a great night with appearances by Wasps Vs Humans, The Arcadians, This Place Is Death, These Stereo Days, and Dan Boyle will be singing a song too. The esteemed painter John Adams will also be auctioning a painting for the charity.”

It will be an emotional night for The Grunts to play and will have guests to fill up James’ absences.

“It’s a very hard gig for us to play. It’s been nearly two years since the last gig. John Keating has joined us on drums, he fully realises the enormity of the gig for James’ memorial. It’ll be him on the kit, me on vocals and lead guitar, Jason Fowley on vocals and bass guitar, Eugene D’arcy on vocals and guitar, Kevin Power on keyboards, and also Roisin Spillane on vocals. She is James’ daughter and a First Class Musical Theatre student.”

• Tribute Night In Memory Of James Spillane Drummer will be held on Saturday, August 15, at 8pm in Crane Lane. Tickets €10 available in advance on eventbrite. Proceeds are going to the Irish Lung Foundation.