Microdisney were an Irish
rock band formed in
Cork in 1980.[2] They were founded and led by songwriters
Cathal Coughlan (keyboards, vocals) and
Sean O'Hagan (guitar).[3] Originally typeset as Micro Disney, the band had become Microdisney by the time they (Coughlan and O'Hagan) had relocated to London in 1983 and signed to
Rough Trade Records.[4] Between 1983 and 1986 the band recorded six
Peel Sessions[5] for BBC Radio and released their debut album for Rough Trade called Everybody Is Fantastic.
In 1985, their album The Clock Comes Down the Stairs reached number one in the
UK Indie Chart,[6][7] and they reached the Irish top 40 with the 1987 single "Town to Town".[8] They achieved international success[9] with "Town to Town" reaching number 55 in the
UK Singles Chart. This single, released by Virgin Records, was followed into the UK chart by "Gale Force Wind" in March 1988. That 1 July, days after supporting
David Bowie at London's Dominion Theatre, the band split up.[10]
O'Hagan and Coughlan formed separate bands,
the High Llamas and
the Fatima Mansions, respectively, with Coughlan also going on to work with
Sean Hughes in Bubonique[11] and
Luke Haines as part of
The North Sea Scrolls project.[12][13][14] In 2017, a radio documentary was made about the band called Iron Fist in Velvet Glove - The Story of Microdisney by producer
Paul McDermott, which was re-broadcast by Newstalk 106-108fm as part of their Documentary on Newstalk season.[15]
In 2018, Microdisney reunited for the first time in 30 years, performing live in Dublin and London.[1] In February 2019, they played their last shows in Dublin and Cork.[16] The members of Microdisney were awarded an
IMRO/NCH Trailblazer Award, given to "culturally important" Irish albums (in this instance, for The Clock Comes Down the Stairs) in 2018.[16]
A 2024 documentary, titled Microdisney: The Clock Comes Down the Stairs and focusing on the band's formation and career and reformation, was broadcast on BBC4 on 15 March 2024.[17]