Gary Wickham is the drummer in the indie band Silverbacks, who released their second album Archive Material in January on UK label Full Time Hobby.
Based in Chapelizod, Gary tells us all about his favourite things to do and places to go in the city, and why the Phoenix Park is great for dog-watching...
Home is...
I live in Chapelizod with my girlfriend, Emma – we've been there for about a year-and-a-half now, I think.
Chapelizod is great, it feels like a small village, and if you just go a little bit more you've got Strawberry Beds and The Strawberry Hall [pub]. And then in the other direction you're straight into the centre of town, so it's the perfect balance between both.
You've got the Phoenix Park right across as well – everything on your doorstep, really.
How I get around the city:
It's probably the thing that I like most about Dublin, the fact that you can walk everywhere in the city. If you're in London you can't move to the other side of the city in a 40-minute walk, which I really like [here].
The best place in the city for a date:
We go to the Hacienda quite a bit. In those early dates, when you're not sure how it's going to go, at least you've got a jukebox and a pool table to fill in the gaps if things aren't going too well!
It's cosy, and I like it because it's got good music and it's a cool place. Even the barman is great to watch.
My favourite pub in the city:
The Dame Tavern: that was a big spot for us to all go when we were starting the band before lockdown.
I prefer a boozer, and the characters there are great. If you're in early, you're getting the regulars that are big into the horse racing – it's one of those places that the barman will take the bets and run out to the bookies and leave the bar unattended!
And then in the evening you've got a different crowd coming in. Once you have a seat in there, you can have a really good night. And the Guinness is really great.
My favourite restaurant in Dublin:
Mulligan's in Stoneybatter. My girlfriend has been vegetarian forever, and for the last two years, I've been trying to give it a go.
It's one of the few places that you can go where the vegetarian option is not just a goat's cheese tart – you've got a couple of choices and they do their Sunday roasts with two different vegetarian options that are always really, really good.
The only problem is, the meat option always looks unbelievable!
My go-to café or coffee shop:
In Chapelizod, there's a coffee shop called BaaBaa. We're so lucky, you walk out of our apartment gates and it's right across the road.
The coffee's really good, the pastries are great and the staff are exceptionally nice as well. During lockdown, we were going there every day, just to break up the monotony.
Where I get my exercise:
We play probably one of the lowest-level five-a-side soccer games that the world has ever seen.
We have a couple of musicians and a couple of lads from Dublin that get together and play, and everyone's 30 or older. It's always great fun, but I'd say to watch it would be a sad old affair.
We play at Astro Park in Tallaght. It's gas, when you're walking in there, there's a lot of serious 5-a-side leagues and very fit people playing.
My favourite shops:
Like everyone else now, I'm buying vinyl quite a lot, so Tower, R.A.G.E., Freebird, Spindizzy, and Optic in Hen's Teeth as well.
All these shops are actually really supportive when you're releasing something. It's a great network to have, and they're always really helpful about ordering records, which is great.
My favourite place for a haircut:
I used to work in Dundrum, across the road from Cut & Sew. There's a guy in there called Jake who's been cutting my hair for the last couple of years. I go into him every two months and get a haircut.
My favourite place in Dublin to get away from it all:
Probably Phoenix Park – it's right across the road so I can get out of the apartment and within two minutes feel like you're completely out of the city.
Also, my girlfriend would say I'm weird about dogs. We don't have a dog because we're in an apartment, but if I go over there are loads of dogs off their leads, so I get my fix. It always puts me in better form.
My favourite place to let my hair down:
I love going to Vicar Street. There are always great gigs there, and it's the only place you can get a good pint of Guinness in a plastic cup. I don't know if it's because you're in a good mood because you're there!
Then there's the usual 'lads in bands' thing – we'd always end up in Whelan's or The Workman's before lockdown. I wouldn't be a nightclub person – a late bar is what I'd be after, usually.
The last live event I went to:
I went to see Badhands play in the Workman's which was really, really great, and I saw Black Midi that week in Vicar Street as well. I'm pretty sure they were both early November.
Black Midi was an experience, the musicianship is unbelievable with those guys.
It's mad because around that time I was supposed to see Melts, Girl Band, The Mary Wallopers and loads of other bands but they were all cancelled. They're actually coming back up now so there's a good few gigs between now and the end of March.
Dublin's best kept secret:
The Library Bar in the Central Hotel. My friend Ciarán brought me there one day - I'd never even known it existed. It's a really good place to go, sit down and have a chat and a few pints – especially before you're going out.
I don't know if I can complain about it being replaced by a hotel because it was already in a hotel, but I just walked past the other day and it was all boarded up.
Silverbacks play Whelan's tomorrow night, March 2. Tickets from Ticketmaster.
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