Your Classic Pop writer first met Jacquie O’Sullivan on a Bournemouth beach in 1984, fag in hand, hairdo pointing to the heavens; she was brandishing a water pistol. The Shillelagh Sisters, the rockabilly band she fronted, were playing live at the Pavilion Ballroom on Westover Road, promoted by London club-runners Phil and Rob Dirtbox. I’d written a spoof photo story for Number One magazine to tie in with their first single on CBS, a cover of 60s girl group The Glories’ (I Love You Babe But) Give Me My Freedom. The song didn’t make the Top 40 so the feature never ran but we became best pals and later formed a short-lived disco duo, Slippry Feet, in the 90s after she finished her unexpected four-year tenure in Bananarama following Siobhan Fahey’s departure in 1988. Now after 36 years her on/off pop career has come full circle as she celebrates turning 60 by reuniting with the Shillelaghs to play a rockabilly festival in Vegas.
How did you first meet Shillelagh Sisters co-founder Lynder Halpin?
Lyn was going out with Boz Boorer who played guitar in The Polecats and I was with Phil Bloomberg who played double bass. Lynder and I eyed each other suspiciously at first. She was proper rockabilly and I’d been a punk, but once we had a drink and got to know each other we realised that we were kindred spirits. We would get into so much trouble when we went to see The Polecats. They were doing quite well at that point. They’d had hits with Rockabilly Guy and John, I’m Only Dancing. At the gigs, girls would be down the front flirting with the band so we’d punch them. The Polecats manager totally banned us from coming to gigs. So that’s how the Shillelaghs started. We thought, “Fuck it, let’s do it ourselves.“ Rehearsing for this Vegas gig we’ve almost gone back to how we started – just me singing and Lyn playing double bass in her bedroom. Lyn knew a lot of original old rockabilly songs that were as rare as hen’s teeth. Black Cadillac by Joyce Green was one. He May Be Your Man by Dolly Cooper was another.