“I miss the buzz on a gig-night when the crew are by all appearances tearing frenetically about the place getting things in order when in actual fact it is all under control and going according to plan and all we are probably doing is trying to find Ray's keys, phone, coat, cigarettes, lighter, comb, shoes, man-bag. Guess which one of these was made up.”

Dónall Madden

The Duncairn’s volunteer-based Events Team: the seat shifters and tickets takers, photographers and water carriers, organisers and cable-haulers and washer-uppers. Imbued with special powers they long-distance spot a pair of mid-row empty seats in the dark for latecomers. They transform an average room into an, atmospheric, sparkling refuge for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. They finish a day’s work, throw on a clean T-shirt, and gather the energy to spend the rest of their night doing everything that needs to be done in order for The Duncairn’s gigs and events to take place.

What our Events Team does may be defined neatly inside a volunteer role description, but to be honest, that just doesn’t cut it. You can’t write into a role description: “It doesn’t matter how tired you are, how late it is, how long it’s taking for all the drunk people to move downstairs, you need to stay until you’ve stacked every chair, cleared every table, washed every glass, packed all the merch, phoned every taxi, found every purse, dealt with all the recycling, tidied the green room, filed every questionnaire, mopped every spillage, counted all the cash … Anyway, I’m sure you get the picture. It just wouldn’t happen without them.

“I never volunteered - I was kidnapped...somebody please pay the ransom!!!”

From managers, to students, musicians to teachers, our team is a fascinating mix of humans from all walks of life. But because every event we programme is about the performance and not about how we manage our events, it means that our volunteers remain eternally under the radar. So, we thought we would take this opportunity for you to get to know a few of them a bit better, and hear about the nights at The Duncairn that stick in their memory.

“Can I use your full name Dónall?” I ask. “Certainly,” the longest serving volunteer on the team responds. Dónall Francis Aloysius Rufus Bonaparte Firefly Egbert Sousé Ó Madáin junior has been working from home during the lockdown. “There are many things I miss, and I suppose the majority are obvious” he tells me. “I mean by this I love the gang that work behind the scenes and the fun that we have together… But aside from that camaraderie and buzz I miss those gems of nights when there is an almost tangible atmosphere of joy in the building as we all, audience, volunteer and performers alike, know we are experiencing something special. Those nights seem to come quite regularly and that is what I think that makes The Duncairn unique.”

“One of the more unusual events that sticks in my mind was a song-writing class with the great John Spillane,” he recalls. “We thought that we were there to make up the numbers, but, oh no, the Speal had a different plan in mind for us as he got us all into composing mode in spite of, at least in my case, our lack of ability or aptitude. This was one of the funniest days and unfortunately quite a lot of it was filmed for a tv programme though fortunately the country was spared a rendition of my own composition that day despite there being a recording of it. Woo-woo!”

The notion of us all, “audience, volunteer and performers alike,” experiencing something special, is a train of thought that soon-to-be-student Lorcan Nelson, one of our most recent recruits to the team, would agree with. Alas, as lockdown and social distancing has frozen live events at The Duncairn, there has been an indefinite break for the volunteers in the Events Team, and they’re feeling it. “I miss the music and the feel-good atmosphere surrounding The Duncairn,” Lorcan explains. “People off all ages and backgrounds coming together to appreciate the arts creates a sense of community that is second to none.”

“I am trying to become the oldest living human on earth and so far things are going according to plan...coronavirus bedammed!!

In the meantime, he keeps himself busy writing his own music, filming videos, time with friends, his family, and “even an online 18th birthday party”. Truth is though, he’s always this busy, so why would he want to spend his free time volunteering with us on a weekend night? “I wanted to broaden my experience within music and after seeing the call for volunteers I decided to give it a shot,” he explains. “I had been to gigs at The Duncairn before, but I knew relatively little about the brilliant work that goes on both in the centre and the surrounding area. Now I realise the role music and the arts plays in bringing people together and I’m proud to be a part of this amazing team:)”

“The Duncairn Songbook curated by Conor Caldwell is definitely one of my many highlights. It was our Christmas bash and my first 100 club and the place was buzzing, giving me a real sense of what The Duncairn is all about. I met some of the team for the first time and enjoyed an impromptu jam session after the show from the brilliant range of musicians, making the night that extra bit magical.”

Nia McVicker is a Volunteer Photographer, mentored by The Duncairn’s resident photographer, Stan Nikolov. Despite this being an important year of exams, Nia joined us because she wanted to support her local community: “especially within the local arts sector. I have had a long-term interest in the arts and in the future I would like to work in the creative industry… I’ve been keeping quite busy. Spending time with my family and I recently bought a new guitar, so I’ve been practicing quite a lot too. Doing art, going on walks and working out… I miss being part of a team and the opportunity to see artists I wouldn’t normally see. It’s a fun and friendly environment to work in.”

“My favourite event that I attended was the Hundred Club in December. The music was amazing, as was the atmosphere.”

“Now I realise the role music and the arts plays in bringing people together and I’m proud to be a part of this amazing team:)”

Eimear McCotter was one of The Duncairn’s original volunteers, way back when the centre first opened. It was her “Love of music and the arts,” that attracted her join us. “[I] wanted to help people enjoy the gigs and be part of setting up these amazing events,” she recalls. So, it can be no surprise that she misses the old place while it’s closed to the public. Indeed, it’s: “[the] sense of community about the place, helping people enjoy the gigs, the Super Sundays and Dónall’s jokes!” that she misses the most. However, as she has recently started an online German course, is currently working on a Master’s in Translation she “has plenty of coursework to keep me busy.”

“There have been so many amazing events but The Duncairn Songbook event in December last year was pretty special. There were so many talented artists on stage that night and everyone was having the best craic. (I also got to try Ray’s famous punch!)”

“Whilst focusing mainly on folk and trad., in all honesty, there is an eclectic mix of stuff from the ambient and the experimental to the downright raucous and punk-infused.”

For recent graduate and soon-to-be online TEFL teacher, Alasdair Murty, it’s the Super Sundays that he misses the most. “Listening to northern soul from DJ Paddy [Cash] while I go around chatting to people from the community and further afar. There are always people of all generations which is lovely to see. The stripped-back performances in the gallery space are deadly too and always really collaborative and organic. Alfi springs to mind in particular! It really made you appreciate some of the instrumentation, as well as the acoustics than ran through the building. The popup pharmacy, arts and crafts, workshops and Loveworks’ local food produce are cool as well.” Presently though, Alasdair writes for Irish music site, Golden Plec, and is working on a cross-community programme with NICVA on social innovation, conflict and civic leadership.

For Alasdair, there have been many highlights. “Either the Daniel Johnston remembrance night or Other Voices during the summer. With the former, it was so nice being able to hear about all the ways he touched them and how they came to discover him. It was cool as well, listening to all their interpretations of his music. Cult icon afflicted with so much. Music’s as valuable now as it was when it was first released.”

This is just a cross section of our volunteer Events Team, each bringing their own skills, life experience, and personalities to the events they attend. Each one of them being first to arrive and last to leave. We’re lucky to have them.