My Tribe – Mo Threibh (Series 2) charts the rise, fall and revival of music subcultures in Ireland from the break-dance loving Hip Hop scene to the ‘Mad-for-it’ Indie kids and the much-maligned Ravers to the long-haired Metallers. This bilingual series delves into the archives to reveal the fascinating origins of these subcultures while also meeting the modern-day members of these tribes. This is Volume 2 of the definitive story of Ireland’s most enduring music tribes, sound-tracked by the essential anthems of these scenes including songs by Run DMC, The Pixies, Underworld and Thin Lizzy.
Episode Three looks at the much-misunderstood Dance scene:
As with many new trends, Dance music was introduced to Ireland via the gay club scene. It then spread to dancefloors and illicit raves up and the down the country in the 90s. In this episode – Legendary DJ and Promoter Tonie Walsh explains how “Mammy Éire” didn’t understand the attraction of dancing to repetitive beats all night long. Best friends Aoife Nic Canna and Ailbhe Ní Mhaolearcha discuss the influence emigrants returning home from the UK had on the early Dance scene in Ireland, bringing with them new ideas on how to party and how to dress. In Cork Michelle Ring says one of the defining factors in her return from London was the opening of celebrated nightclub ‘Sweat’ at Sir Henrys. It was there she found lasting friendships on the dancefloor, all sound-tracked at 120bpm. DJ Francois Pittion talks about the heady days of 90s Raves and the scene’s association with drugs. In Galway DJ Lolz talks about the difficulty some people have in gaining access to the decks, leading her to set up GASH Collective to assist female and LGBTQI+ DJs. DJ Cáit Fahey describes the immense feeling she gets from seeing people on the dancefloor react to the music she plays.
My Tribe – Mo Threibh, with narration by Peter Coonan, takes the viewer behind the sensationalist newspaper headlines to discover the real Hip Hop crews, Indie kids, Ravers and Metallers and the passion, dedication and sense of belonging that their tribe gives them. These are worlds that are rarely seen or experienced on Irish television, lifting the lid on the underground scenes of these fascinating subcultures.
Produced by Mind the Gap Films for RTÉOne with funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Sound and Vision scheme.
Producer: Jennifer Healy
Director: Conor O’Mahony
Director of Photography: Andrew Cummins
Editor: Mary Crumlish