Buzz O'Neill,events manager, club promoter and Shamrock Rovers obsessive
Tell us about the Hoops, since they're clearly your first love.I've been a fan of Shamrock Rovers football club for more than 20 years now. It's no secret that those were some very dark times in the history of the club. The people who stood together during those years – who stood up and said we weren't going to stand aside and watch the team we love disappear – share a bond that can't be broken. We're family now. In 2009, the move to Tallaght finally went through. The club was no longer homeless and I landed the job of matchday MC.
I know you're a fan of the LA Lakers. Were you ever tempted to bring American-style razzmatazz to Tallaght stadium?No, that works in America. But if you tried to bring that approach to League of Ireland football, you'd look like a total chump. We do a Halftime Hero segment, where I conduct irreverent interviews with ex-players or high-profile supporters. Interviewing John Giles in front of 6,000 people was probably the most nerve-racking because, not only is he a club legend, he's also a professional broadcaster.
Your day job, if I can call it that, is club promoter. What's the secret to offering punters a good night out?I work on the gay scene, so it's all about being a personable face. This probably stems back to the bad old days, when the scene was underground and everyone was anxious to feel safe. But that's evolved over the years into an atmosphere now that's just very fun and friendly.
Sometimes I almost feel sorry for my straight brothers and sisters. They walk into a club, hand over their money, get drunk and fall out the door. On the gay scene, promoters are fighting for a smaller number of customers, so we’ll go to great lengths to offer the best night out possible.
One memorable tweet you sent out recently asked "Does anyone know any gay dwarves? Must be able to dance." Dare I ask . . . ?That was an idea I had for a particular club night – and I'm still looking unfortunately. The dwarves wouldn't have to be gay – they'd just need to be comfortable dancing in a gay club. So if there's anyone out there who fits that description, please get in touch.
You also regularly work with visiting touring artists. What are your favourite war stories?Sharing a golf buggy backstage at Electric Picnic with Grace Jones, Philip Treacy and about 50 grand's worth of hats was an experience I won't forget. She had all sorts of requirements – champagne, oysters, her own personal chef – which we laid on for her. Afterwards she begged me to go back to her hotel to watch her friend Serena Williams in the US Open final. I couldn't leave the site, but she was saying, "darling, darling, you must, you must".
Any nightmare clients?I won't name names, but there was one massive touring band whose crew were so up themselves they wouldn't deal directly with us local staff. When I told the tour manager it was time to go on stage, he just completely blanked me. I had to radio their head of security, who relayed my message by radio back to the tour manager, who was still standing right in front of me. Only then would he give the go ahead for the artist to go onstage.
It wasn't Guns'N'Roses, was it?No. I've never had to deal with Axl, thankfully enough.
You were heavily involved in the election campaign. Do you hold out any hope that gay marriage might be legislated for in the lifetime of this Dáil?Under this government? I wouldn't think so, although the appointment of Alan Shatter as Minister for Justice is encouraging. What I think would be great would be if the existing Civil Partnership Bill legislated for genuine equality. As it stands, if my boyfriend and I took civil partnership, [equal-rights organisation] Marriage Equality have highlighted 350 rights we wouldn't enjoy that a straight couple would.
As an openly gay man, do you ever get any stick from opposition fans at Rovers' games?Not really. It's a big, open, pluralist family at Rovers, as it is across the League of Ireland. There are openly gay supporters and even board members at clubs up and down the country – you'd be pleasantly surprised. Any stick I get from the opposition is far more likely to be because I'm a Rovers fan than because I'm gay.
Finally, where did you get the name Buzz? I'm guessing either Buzz Aldrin, buzz haircut or teenage drug dealer?Ha ha . . . None of the above. Sometimes I tell gullible Americans that I was named after Buzz Aldrin. But that's a lie. Buzz was a nickname from school that all my brothers were given. The rest of them grew out of it, but I'm still living in Peter Pan land. So it's a refusal to grow up, I suppose.
