The lovable scamps on Republic Of Telly have made mischief an art form. With that in mind, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise when the show’s head honcho Kevin McGahern dragged this hard-working journo (kicking and screaming, Mr Editor, honestly!) out of HP Towers for a cheeky lunchtime pint.
“We do feel like the bold kid at the back of the classroom,” grins the Cavan man, unapologetically quaffing a pint of the black stuff. “RTÉ pretty much leave us alone, so we can do what we want.”
Edgy, topical coverage is the order of the day. Kevin – and his comedic colleagues on the show – will take aim at just about anything that appears on their radar. At the same time, though, there’s very little malice involved.
“The show might have been angrier before,” he admits. “A producer from before my time told me as much. But then, it’s a TV review show. How am I meant to get angry about Emmerdale? I’ve always preferred to be more silly than angry. If it’s something really important, the anger will seep through anyway. If a comedian is angry about something – and you believe him – then it can be great. But if you’re getting angry about people calling a tomato a vegetable when it’s actually a fruit? That doesn’t work.”
He definitely seems to have a nose for what works. From a long-time ambition stemming from a love of Steve Martin, Kevin’s career has seen him go from stage to screen and beyond. Now, he’s preparing to slip between the tent-flaps in Kilmainham, for another tilt at Forbidden Fruit.
“The rulebook goes out the window,” he confesses, when asked the strategy for playing to festival crowds. “Last year, a girl in the crowd just threw Panadol on stage, because I looked like I needed it. I had the Buckfast shakes though, and lacked the dexterity to get them out of the pack. Licking them off the stage got the biggest reaction of the weekend! It’s different to a gig in the International Bar, put it that way.”
“I feel quite old at festivals,” he continues. “There’s young lads in their bucket hats and khaki shorts, bought fresh in Dunnes that morning. Meanwhile, I look at the line-up and wonder, ‘Are these real bands?’ It feels like they’ve all got names like The Computer Boys or Electro John. Thank god I’ve heard of the Wu Tang Clan.”
Of course, if McGahern needs help fitting in for the weekend, he can rely on his musical background – though you won’t find him wheeling a flight case around.
“I like to play instruments I can carry easily,” he shrugs. “Hence, the ukulele. I know it’s a proper hipster instrument now, but there’s a lovely sound from it. You could sing about anything and it would sound magical. But I have friends in bands driving up in their vans, lugging instruments around. They’re pretty jealous. I have a sweet gig – just rock up and talk shit into a microphone.”