Naoise Sheridan

You ever have one of those experiences in your life or met someone which makes an impression on you and you think back to it from time to time with fondness? Well anyway my story goes back many many years. I believe I was about 18 living in Victoria. Working some dead-end job and going out to watch live music was my biggest past time.
I used to hang out at one of the bars, The Forge, where every week they had live music. It was great. Anyway one of these weeks I met a guy in a record store and we were both looking for something the store did not have. So seeing as he was not from Victoria I offered to show him the next record store as we left the shop we started chatting about music and he invited me down to the bar that week to watch his band play, Brent Lee and the Outsiders. And flattered that he asked and offered to put me on the guest list, even though I knew everyone who worked there I agreed to come.
Anyway Naoise had a way about him of being able to pick you out of a crowd from the stage, unnerving and yet makes you feel special, and he managed to do that every single night I came to the club.
I won't go into to many details but we had a great time getting to know each other and hanging out all week. Seeing as I was never into the groupie thing I made it pretty clear that I was there to hang out. It was a pretty cool week for me and the last night he and the band were playing I stayed for an after hours party. There was a misunderstanding with the arrogant lead singer and I told Naoise I was going to leave, he persuaded me to stay and hang with him so we stayed up all night hanging out it really was Fantastic! Saying goodbye in the morning was bittersweet and he said that if I ever saw him playing again to come and see him.

Fast forward a year and a bit and I am living in Vancouver attending recording school when I notice in the local paper that the band were playing the following week. Can you imagine? How scary and exciting was. Would he remember me, was I just a passing distraction. So I made plans to go and see them, had the waitress send up a note to Naoise to let him know that I was there. To make a long and nerve wracking story short he read the note, laughed jumped off the stage and ran over to see me, after the show we hung out and chatted and caught up on the years before his new life in Toronto mine in Vancouver. Again he left to follow the rock and roll lifestyle and it was another year or two before again he was playing in Vancouver at the Town Pump. Which was a club that was longer than it was wide with arched doors leading to the stage and quite cozy. I arrived late and was standing under one of the doors just watching the band when I caught his eye, it felt like he had been watching for me to arrive. What a great feeling. So strange to have a connection to someone who you have only met once or twice and feel like old friends. Of course feeling very special that the moment that the band stopped playing he jumped off the stage and ran over to me to give me a hug. What a crazy life I have lead. Catching up hanging out and saying goodbye again.

Now more than a few years have passed and welcome to the world of internet and one day at work for the worlds biggest online bookstore I am suddenly thinking of Naoise and wonder just what he might be up to and Google him (the name is rare enough). What do you know?! He has won awards for best Country Music song-writer in both Canada and the US, played guitars and co-wrote songs on several albums and has moved to Nashville. Good for him I only wish I could be in contact and see how he is. From the photos on the Socan website, he has not changed a bit, must be the Irish blood in him. Maybe someone else will be googling one day and find a way to put me in touch with him again.
Then you might ask, why have I written about him now after all these years? I am reading a book called the Seduction of Water and one of the Stories in the book is about Irish Folk tales and enchanted places. And one of the main characters is called Naoise... So if you are out there drop me a line at the hotmail domain under the name berlinergirl.