Tony recalls encounter with Garth after spotting himself in Netflix documentary
IF you happened to be settling down to watch the new Garth Brooks documentary on Netflix, you might briefly spot a familiar face in there. Wexfordman and former reporter with The Wexford People Tony O’Brien makes a mini appearance in the documentary about one of Ireland’s best loved country stars, ‘ The Road I’m On’.
A native of Kevin Barry Street, having worked for this publication from 1972 to 1978, Tony was a reporter with the Irish Independent when Brooks arrived at Dublin airport in 1994 to play his first ever Irish show. As Garth and his band came through the airport, Tony door-stepped the singer for a quick interview, a clip from which has now turned up in the Netflix documentary.
‘It was pretty standard in those days to be out at the airport to interview big stars coming in’, recalled Tony who added: ‘I had done the same with Bruce Springsteen when he arrived for his 1985 Slane Castle show but all I got out of him was a grunt.’
Garth, on the other hand, was completely different. ‘Some of these stars could be very showbiz but Garth didn’t even use the VIP area, he just came out an ordinary door and was very polite during our brief conversation, even calling me “Sir”.’
Tony’s Irish Independent/Evening Herald photographer colleague wasn’t too pleased, however. ‘He had to ask Garth to get back off the tour bus because, as he said to me, “there wasn’t a shot you weren’t in!”’
The snapper, Kyran O’Brien, also features in the Netflix documentary. In fact, Kyran presented Tony with a copy of his meeting with Garth Brooks which now hangs proudly in his Shankill, Co Dublin, home, along with other pics of famous encounters during Tony’s 20 years with the Independent.
In an odd twist of fate, the airport encounter would be recalled 20 years later when Garth Brooks was due to play the ill-fated series of concerts at Croke Park. By this time Tony had switched to public relations and set up his own one-man agency. His top client was (and still is) Ticketmaster. Tony was in the Ticketmaster offices on the morning the Croke Park shows went on sale and so was Garth’s Manager, Bob Doyle, who also features in the documentary.
‘I brought the airport photo in to show to the promoter Peter Aiken as it was his father, the late Jim Aiken, who promoted the 1994 show,’ Tony said. ‘Peter in turn showed it to Bob Doyle. Bob took a photo of the photo and sent it to Garth who was waiting back in the States to hear how ticket sales went. Garth replied instantly saying: “I still have that jacket!”’
In the end, the ill-fated Croke Park shows were not to be and Tony was kept busy as Ticketmaster had to refund over 400,000 tickets. It was a trip down memory lane for the Wexford man as he spotted himself in the documentary, however for friends he added the caveat: ‘Don’t blink or you might miss me!’