PADDY CULLIVAN, the satirist and 'Late Late Show' bandleader, discusses musicians, celebrity weddings and why he doesn't mind commuting from Donegal
Where did Clint Velour and the Camembert Quartet come from?In NCAD, in the 1990s, I was in a band called The Phallus Palace. We all had names like Smokey Bacon and Mr Universe. I played Clint Velour, a grumpy cabaret singer. By the time we formed the Camembert Quartet, the name had stuck.
Camembert, of course, is a type of cheese. Was that a comment on the music you played?Absolutely. At the time we started out, there was a lounge music revival going on. So we specialised in very cheesy comedy cover versions. We did a Latino version of Stairway To Heaven and a sort of Sinatra-esque, big band version of The Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the UK. In 2002, we recorded an album called Music is War, which made its way into the hands of Ryan Tubridy.
So how did you land the TV gig?Ryan is a big Sinatra fan. We appeared on his radio show, The Full Irish, three or four times. A year-and-a-half later, he got his first TV show and he decided he asked us to be his house band.
Were RTÉ resistant to that idea? It must have meant an additional expense for them. No, once they'd seen the kind of energy a live band created, not just during the show but beforehand and during commercial breaks, I think they were happy to go along with it. Of course, I'd been to see the likes of David Letterman and Jay Leno in the US and seen how a good band can create an atmosphere on set.
What musical guests have you most enjoyed working with?One of my favourite performances was backing up Billy Ocean with a full orchestra. We've also played with Ronnie Wood, Peter Kay, David Hasselhoff.
We did three songs with Daniel O’Donnell a couple of weeks ago. He has some great musicians in his band. So it’s the entire gamut. The professionals, the people with talent, are never a problem. It’s the more put-together acts that can be more difficult.
When Eamon Dunphy was on the 'Late Late Show' last week you played 'I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)'. How much time do you have to work out the intros for each guest?Usually it's just the day before, but we do like to tie the intro to the person.
In the US, Jimmy Fallon's house band recently got in trouble for using an insulting song to introduce Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann. Have you tried anything risqué?Once or twice we might have used songs that were a little risqué, but played them instrumentally. I'm not going to say what they were now! Certainly, there'd be politicians on where you'd like to use Springtime For Hitler or something like that.
As well as the TV work, you're also involved in political satire with Leviathan. Yes, I've been involved with David McWilliams and Naoise Nunn for a few years now. As a political satirist I'm unusual in this country in that I don't do impressions. I do songs and little video presentations.
The recession has been a boon for economists and political satirists. Are you worried an economic recovery might see you all back on the scrap heap?Maybe, but I'm hoping for another economic boom. I'm hoping some naive 25-year-old will buy my house.
Last summer the Camembert Quartet played at the wedding of Brian O'Driscoll and Amy Huberman. Which member of the Irish rugby team made the biggest eejit of himself on the dance floor?Yeah, that was a really cool wedding. Amy booked the whole thing herself, so it wasn't like there was any big wedding planner or anything. We had to do a bunch of Kings of Leon songs, because that's what Brian wanted. Everyone had a great night, but no one got too crazy. Come on, it wasn't a GAA wedding.
What's the secret to a great reception?The bride and groom think it's all about them, but really it's about getting the uncles and aunts up to dance, isn't it? That's the thing. We've done lots and lots of weddings and it's always the older people who are the most enthusiastic. Sometimes you'll have a bride and groom who say they want this song and that song. It ends up looking like they're doing the first dance alone for two hours.
What song is the ultimate floor-filler? Probably Sweet Caroline. Everybody gets up and dances to that. Journey's Don't Stop Believingis becoming like that too.
Finally, you live in Donegal. It's a beautiful place, but not the most obvious base for a career in showbiz / political satire / celebrity wedding entertainment?Well, that's true. But most of my work is at the weekend. I wanted to live in the west. I wanted to live by the beaches and the sea. I wanted to have a house that was bigger than a shoebox. The commute to Dublin is three and a half hours, but it's only once a week. It's good for keeping a perspective on things, I suppose.
