Glen Hansard and the Unquantifiable Wonder of Mojo

In this episode, Dara takes the time to pay respects to the recently departed Glen Hansard, whose untimely death shocked and rocked so many, both here in Ireland and further afield. Hansard's band The Frames really were part of the soundscape of 90s Ireland as it emerged out of the dark years of the 80s into a newly discovered energy and confidence that ushered in what felt like limitless frontiers.Although Dara didn't have a big relationship with The Frames, they were close enough in age and through mutual connections that they felt very familiar at all times. There was also a period when Dara was occasionally mistaken for Hansard because of a superficial similarity in appearance, a happenstance that one time led to free food being delivered by a starstruck waitress!Dara tries to articulate what Hansard meant to so many and he reckons it had something to do with the special alchemy that can occur between a live performer and their audience. Do the frontmen of bands have a particular monopoly on this very particular energy? Is it in their gift, or is it bestowed on them by adoring fans? And where does that energy go when the performer is no longer with us?Mojo is a quality that is not reserved for singers, actors, and other public figures. Dara argues that it is a quality of something magical that on some level exists in all of us. He recognises it in his father, who is much diminished by dementia and about to turn 84. How do you quantify that!Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.