Jackie Hayden has spent virtually all his working life in the music business. As Marketing Manager with Sony Music (then CBS Records) he signed U2 to their first recording contract, one of countless examples of his relentless support for homegrown talent. He’s been a member of the Hot Press crew since 1983, writing about virtually every aspect of Irish culture and interviewing subjects as varied as Bob Geldof, The Corrs, Gerry Adams, Mary Black, Glen Hansard, Christy Moore, Eleanor McEvoy, Brian Kennedy et al. He’s written several books, including the number one best-selling Phil Lynott biog My Boy, and spoken at music industry seminars all over Europe.  He offers constructively succinct, and often humorous, reviews of new Irish artists in his highly-regarded Hot Press column First Cuts.