Two Texans, one fleadh cowboy and Paul Brady mosey on in. You can almost hear the spurs rattling as they go by. They give the night that special "home on the range" vibe. They've arrived at the HQ Hall of Fame for a party.
"I just hang with these guys," says singer/song-writer Paul Brady, of his two Texan friends, Rick Mitchell and Jim Austin, who are visiting Dublin. They head up the Houston International Festival. Next year, April 2001, says Austin, as president of the festival, "we're saluting Ireland". We'll be there if only to hear those long, lazy vowel-sounds one more time.
Pete Cummins from the Dublin-based group, The Fleadh Cowboys, has just gone in ahead of them. Minus his cowboy hat, he does "feel a bit naked", he concedes.
Others at the party to launch From a Whisper to a Scream, the TV documentary series on Irish rock (see Weekend 6), include Barry Devlin, formerly of Horslips and Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey.
Everyone asked to contribute to the series, including Van Morrison, Bob Geldof and Bono, "all responded, they gave us their time. They felt no-one has told this story. It's difficult to know when you set out what access you'll get," says David Heffernan, its producer and director. Tina Heffernan, his wife and also a producer - in Donna Karan "from head to toe" - goes forth to greet the guests. Simon Heffernan (15), their son and his friend Jonah King (14) are also checking out the gig. "I didn't know there were mosh pits in the 1970s," says Jonah. "It has a bigger history than I thought."