Mickey Rafferty is a minor legend in Northern Ireland – voice and songwriter of the Minnows (formerly Tiberius Minnows) from Coalisland/Dungannon, c.1988 to the present. They’ve become elusive in recent years in public, though there’s an album in the can that they’ve been leaking (fabulous) songs from on to YouTube for a year or so. Maybe next year for the actual release. Fingers crossed…

But… every Saturday in recent months, three of the four Minnows convene in Mainzy’s garden shed and record/film live performances of covers selected by their fans, using the name ‘the Handsome Princes’. The songs are eclectic – from Johnny Cash to China Crisis, Neil Young to Lloyd Cole. And in general, they’re brilliant. Yes, dammit, even the 80s ones (obviously, not all of them…) So popular has the alter ego brand/band become that the trio has started doing live shows lately – Mickey on guitar/vocals, Kevin on bass, Mainzy on lead guitar, keys and a lunar module of gadgetry and the odd backing track bit of instrumentation. But without doubt the act’s secret weapon is Raff’s vocal.

I had the pleasure of working with the Raffmeister recently on my song ‘Don’t Go to Nashville’, released digitally » Continue Reading.