THE WATERBOYS "FISHERMAN'S BLUES" CARTOONS

Mike Scott writes

During our extended recording sessions at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, drummer Peter McKinney drew a cartoon frame depicting two musicians at a rock festival ("And so Bud Tatler and Barney Rock found themselves on top of the world") in the top corner of a sheet of A4 paper.

He left it lying around the studio and presently someone else drew a second frame. Then somebody else drew a third. And a fourth. Soon it caught on and by the end of the sessions "The Comic", ran to 50 pages and told a wierd and wonderful composite story about The Waterboys, our road crew, the Scottish band We Free Kings, U2 (renamed "U3") and various Dublin luminaries all converging on an island for the session of all time.

Anto was fictionalised as the "Human Saxophone". Roddy Lorimer became "Black Rod". Steve's famous holey hat, Vinnie Kilduff's uillean pipes and a snake mesmerised by Steve Cooney's dijeridu all played their parts. At the climax of the story the performer/audience barriers dissolved and all the musicians and audience at "Mount Etna Rocks" busked and sang together and, as Steve Wickham's drawing put it, "The power of the music gives everybody wings".

Everyone at the studio contributed to the Comic - band members, technical staff, crew, and many of the guest musicians who sat in on the sessions. Frames appeared on the inner sleeves of the albums "Fisherman's Blues", "Room To Roam", "The Best Of The Waterboys" and "The Whole Of The Moon", and in a Waterboys Tour Programme. We've selected some of our favourite frames for you. See them below.