"You're lucky, I'm lucky, we're all lucky!"

It was a Sunday night when Patricia Quinn’s brother telephoned me to let me know that Pat was imminently to return home to Belfast, Northern Ireland, the city of her birth. The reason, to help promote the launch of a compact disc called “Belfast Alive”, featuring local Northern Ireland bands. Pat’s nephew Johnny played drums and was in one of the bands concerned. It had been planned to give the night a definite Rocky Horror edge, and I was asked as a personal favour to Pat, if I would not only arrange for Lip Service, to help organise the local Rocky Horror fans, but to participate as well.

As you can imagine there were quite a few excited reactions from within the group, especially at the prospect of performing live with THE Patricia Quinn, the original Magenta of stage and screen.

The short notice of the event posed a few problems. Again the friendship and co-operation between the main performance groups in the United Kingdom saved the day. Lip Service had recently brought in two new people to cover the roles of Magenta and Janet and their costumes were not yet ready yet. Thankfully Saffron and Carole, from the Glasgow group loaned us theirs!

 

On arriving back home in Belfast, Pat rang me to catch up on what had been happening and to discuss what would actually be required on the night. We agreed to perform to a couple of songs from the movie, with the visuals projected onto a backdrop, and Pat was to sing the TimeWarp.

 

The night before the event found Pat on BBC Radio Ulster discussing the forthcoming show with her nephew Johnny encouraging all the listeners to come along and buy the CD.

The big day finally arrived, as had the costumes from Glasgow, and the first activity on the agenda was another radio interview, again with the BBC. This time I joined Patricia in the studio. Unfortunately I had to decline Pat’s kind invitation for coffee in one of the local coffee shops, as I had to get back to work.

The Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, newspapers both carried articles and interviews with Pat adding to the anticipated excitement of the evening.

It was an extra special day for Roisin, Belfast’s own resident Columbia, it was her birthday. To mark the event I had arranged an autographed picture for Roisin, depicting Pat as the Usherette during the 21st Anniversary Show Tour. Needless to say Roisin was thrilled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The venue for the night was the ‘Warehouse’ in Pilot Street, Belfast. The club gradually filled up to full capacity. Lip Service had arrived early and were attempting to get time for a ‘run through’. Not surprisingly there were a few hiccups, with the audio/visual projection arrangements, space, access etc. Eventually all these were sorted simply by Pat declaring to the others that Davy knew what he was doing ...... and let him get on with it! We then retired up-stairs and started pulling on costumes and smearing on ‘slap’, while the punters arrived. A few last minute checks with Pat and her brother and we were all set. After a number of other bands had performed and with nerves and adrenaline both running excessively high, the time had finally arrived for our little bit. Both numbers we were to perform to, ‘Sweet T’ and ‘Hot Patootie’ were very well received.

 

Now it was time for the main feature, Belfast’s own Miss Patricia Quinn! Darren our Riff, brought Pat on stage with a little bit of elbow sex, something he still talks about. Patricia performed the TimeWarp for her first time in her native Belfast, and there to watch were her mother and rest of her family. The club was buzzing and Pat was fabulous.

 

The night had been a blinding success. We all retired to the space up-stairs, designated as the dressing room. This was a time to chat with Pat and her family, while pulling off fishnets, wiping off make-up and drinking the champagne kindly supplied by Pat’s brother. After a few autographs and photographs like all goods things the night had to come to an end. A very tired but still excited band of troupers said goodbye to Pat and her family and headed home.

A few days later the entertainment’s page of a Belfast newspaper described the night “ ..... the show was little short of epic. Guest appearances from Rocky Horror star Patricia Quinn and  a suitably decadent supporting cast contributed to what was one of the best nights out for quite some time.”

The very relaxed, friendly, informal atmosphere, meant it was a night everyone was going to remember for a very long time.

Little we were to realise though that Pat would ring me again the following year and ask us to perform with her once again........ but that’s another story................ {for more CLICK here}

 

 

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