Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Craic Mechanic

Episode Date: September 28, 2023

Conan chats with Aoife in Connemara about working as a wedding DJ, helping people discover their singing voices, and dealing with the inner critic. Wanna get a chance to talk to Conan? Submit here: TeamCoco.com/CallConan

Konan O'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Konan? Visit teamkoko.com slash call-konan. Okay, let's get started. Hi, EFA. Welcome to Konan O'Brien needs a fan. Oh my goodness. Hello.

How are you guys? EFA, how are you? Overjoyed. I'm very excited to see you and hear you. How are you? Well, it's very nice to see you. EFA, tell me, where are you right now? Well, I am on the very west coast of Ireland

in a beautiful place called Kanamara. Oh, Kanamara, beautiful, gorgeous. And EFA, the Irish love to spell a name strangely. How do you spell your name? Is it the way it's, is it phonetic? Is it E E F A or have you done, have you Irish done something crazy to it? We've, we've done our usual. So my name is spelled A O I F E. So it's, no, it's, uh, every vowel except you and it's, it's a

lot of work. It is a lot of work. Going anywhere outside of Ireland, it is, yeah, I get called all sorts of things, oi fi, a oi fi. But it makes more sense if you read it backwards. That's usually what I tell people. Yeah, I don't know what it is about the Irish, but my daughter has an Irish name, Nev, Nev O'Brien or Nev, but the correct spelling in Ireland is akin to, I'm not even exaggerating, N-I-A-H-M-F. It's madness. It's Niafah. That's actually, that's my sister's name. Is it? Yes, she's Neav. You guys have like a letter's quota that you have to use.

Yes, you have to. That's absolutely. It's part of our agreement with the European Union. You need to like just get all those vials in there. It goes back to the 17th century. The British said you've got to have 35 vials in your name or will seize your farm. And so it's a very painful history.

But yeah, we just spelled it N-E-V-E and thought just screw it. It's just Nev. Just get over it. I think that was wiser for Nev, you know, living in the States when she might be called Niamha or Niamba. I think that was good parenting. I think my real name, probably in Ireland. I don't even know what it would be, IFA, but it was probably like, Kronja, Njornja, Njornja. Njornja.

It was spelled C-I-O-V-H-A-I-M-H-E-N. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Sona is S-I-O-N-V-H-A. Oh, yeah, and sona. Sona is S I O N B H A. Oh my God. There you go. So now has deep Irish roots. Very deep Irish roots. Can you tell?

Yeah, I like to tell incredible rage. A holic. So let's talk about you. Uh, first of all, I very much like the shirt that you're wearing. It's cool. It's got. It looks, it's got, um, I want to describe it to people. It's got like epilets on the side, but then beautiful pink pony hair hanging down from

the epilets. Gorgeous. What is this you're wearing? Thank you. So this is actually my work uniform. This is a boiler suit. So it's a full, you know, power suit't point your butt at the screen. I've gotten in trouble asking people to do that online. But no, so it's you're wearing, yeah, it's a full,

we would call it maybe a body suit or jumpsuit. Yeah, you would call it a boiler suit. So it looks like, yeah, you're here to repair a boiler, but you're also having to be an admiral in the French Navy. The French tickler Thank you so much. Okay, you take it easy buddy boys. I like the pom-poms. Yeah, the pom-poms look good. Thank you so much. Yeah, it is amazing what you can do with a glue gun. So Yeah, my official job title is and this can really get lost in translation, but I'm a crack mechanic. So my job is to, and that's about that's about C R A I C. So basically my job is to go into spaces and help loosen up people's joints and help them unleash their inner crack. But yeah, I wear a boy there. See, because you know, it's it's it's dirty business. I have to, yeah, help people to have a good time. So are you a masseuse then?

I'm really trying to understand. I'm a chiropractor. No, I'm a chiropractor. You're a chiropractor. Yeah, yeah, no, what I'll tell you honestly is, I'm a wedding DJ and I'm a... Yeah. Yeah.

If you are so Irish because there's so much deflection going on that I don't know what you're talking about. And this happens whenever I talk to anyone in my family. Well, I hope losing people's backs up. Do you really? Yeah, I'm a wedding plan. And you're like, no, of course I don't do that. Yeah, I know. So what you're saying is you're, when you say you loosen people up, you mean you entertain them. So what I meant is I'm a wedding DJ.

And my job title is I'm a crack mechanic because I have an events company called the Sing Along social. And basically we do singing parties for people who can't sing. So that's our whole vibe. But basically when I first started DJing, I have to say that I wasn't the best DJ. And so what I decided to do was I decided to distract people, undeflect in my very Irish way by bringing props and bringing the kind of songs to life. So I would build, I'd make signs, bring kind of like inflatable guitars

for different moments, or basically, yeah, try to animate the songs. So being a cracker, can I? I completely understand with what you're talking about, because throughout my career, I've tried to deflect and distract from my lack of ability using wild gesticulations, body motions, pumped up hair, and lots of props. And it's worked fine.

I've gotten away with it, but I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm curious. You say that you lead people in singalongs and your specialty is helping people who can't sing. I always think of the Irish as being able to sing well. Is that not, I know that's a huge generalization, but are there many people in Ireland who don't know how to sing? So of course even even on our most talented island there are people who can't sing But what's amazing to me is you can get a hundred terrible singers into a room and when they all start singing together

It sounds really beautiful I don't know what that is, but like the individual is like that's called alcohol. That's your perception after a few drinks. Basically, it's for people, you know, I actually love singing, but I've always kind of struggled a little bit with remembering lyrics, okay. Also, and I also struggle with a bit of performance, like feeling a bit frightened of being on stage, singing specifically. So then those kind of things, I'm not great at being on time, so those things all stopped me from joining a choir. So then I had no real outlet for singing,

and this my event, the Singal along social it it happened totally by accident I wanted to invite some friends over to my house for brunch to listen to Jagged little pill by Alanis Borset the whole way through it was like the 20 year This is about eight years ago. It was the 20 year anniversary. I was like, that's just like Comrade press place, see what happens. And then basically the guest has got a bit big. And I called a friend who has a pub and said, you know, let's, why don't we just do it in the pub?

And he said, yeah, why don't you put it up on Facebook? Like maybe a couple of people want to come. And by the next day, like a thousand people wanted to come and we had to like, create tickets and stuff. But it was just like this hilarious night where we just press played on the album and it just like started. It was like, it was like, do I stir this? You up and literally like everyone in the eyes like, it's amazing. It's amazing. It's amazing. Good for you. So you turned, you turned

this kind of fun idea into a business. This is now your business. And what events do you do funerals or no? No, no. Well, the Irish love of funerals. We have a good time at a funeral. I've had more laughs than an Irish wake than any other event. Or is it weddings mostly? We mostly do weddings and we do music festivals as well. So we've just come finish a busy summer season. But we also do

kind of tours around the country and we've just done some festivals in the UK and Europe too. And we tend to pick a theme like it might be an album like rumors by Fleetwood Mac. But we love doing um that's a really was that you Matt Gourder you just want. Yeah I love yeah, I'm just sad. I'm just sad. I'm really good to know. Thank you for clearing our mind. But yeah, so and then sometimes we do themes on that was Gourley again, Gourley, stop it. That one was real. So, so, so you love times so you'll do a whole album, but sometimes you mix it up, right?

It won't just be one hour. Yeah, so we might do themes like we're doing currently. We're doing a Britney versus Beyonce. To her, which is really exciting because doesn't Beyonce win that one? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. This is what's really interesting about the battles that we do. So you always, it's always the underdog that wins for some reason. So everyone's like, yeah, it's obviously going to win this one. And then there's something about like, sometimes so, for example, with Brittany, you kind of forget the absolute bangers of songs that that that her repertoire has produced. And also just, I suppose, our events, the tracks are very lovely vibe.

It's a, we are, it's a, because there are a few of us that work as crack mechanics, and we love to support women and pop, and we make a point of celebrating Brittany for her talent, I suppose, and maybe, maybe not focusing on some of her troubles, or maybe sending her some good vibes, I suppose. Who among us hasn't had their troubles? That's what I like to say. I've never said that. You've never said that. You've never said that one.

No, no, no, no. I'm understanding now that crack, I know in the UK means like joking around, right? Crack. That's what you meant by crack mechanic. The crack, when people want to get together and have great conversation at the time, they call it the crack. What's the crack, remember? We have a guest on this show. call it the crack. What's the crack, remember? What's the crack? A guest on this show, to explain that to us. Yes, yes.

So, I remember that. And it's not to be confused with the crackin. Oh, that's, I was confusing it with the crackin. Or crack cocaine. Yeah, or crack cocaine. Okay. So, we're clearing a lot of things up for our listeners. So, it's so important.

Well, yes, my job is to untangle the Christmas tree by some times. Oh, okay. Make sure that everything's clear. EFA, if I can get back to you on a way from Sona, which is, you know, why was that an order? I'm sorry. This is Sona's driving me crazy. What did I say anything?

Just your presence. Oh, man. EFA, it sounds like you have a great business going and you're bringing a lot of joy to people. Now, do you think that I would fit into your organization at all? I'm being honest. I would, I would, I would be delighted to see you at one of our events. All three of you and the whole team, the amazing team. I can't see.

I'm a terrible singer. I would say. Yes, but that would be perfect for you. So the only thing, so I think what I like to do is what all the crack mechanics do is that C-R-A-I-C, and I'm sorry I didn't explain that very well, but so we like to, sometimes we create moments for people like we love to, sometimes we create moments for people like,

we love to turn people into boy bands and we'll give them big boy band white shirts and then we'll get them to sit down and then we'll count to three for them to stand up by the key change, that's really fun. But I think Conan, for you, there's a moment that I might get you involved in, which would be, we love playing Don't Stop Me Now by Queen, and there's a bit where it's like, Don't Stop Me, Don't Stop Me. And then there's a guitar, there's a shredding guitar solo after it, and I would love to get you,

give you a guitar for that moment and just let you, like like an inflatable guitar, which I feel is big. I thought it was a wrap. No, no, no, I'm actually much better on an inflatable guitar. Okay. That's what. So, you don't see any singing role for me in this group. I mean, it's just not you. It's not you.

It's not you. Excuse me. What are you talking about? Do you want to hear a little something I've got for you right now? Do you want to hear a little something I've got for you right now? I want to hear a little he want you to come to Ireland to play with a toy Yes, that would be great. You would love that you want me to come to Ireland to pretend to strum a blow-up guitar at the very Most it's a very at for a brief moment. It's a very nice. It's good for your real good Stiffer. Can I just say something? 30 seconds. I'm a terrific singer in the old Irish style, and you're missing out.

Let's hear it. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know.

I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know.

I know. I know. I know. I sweet handle. To. Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Come on. This is good stuff. Hello.

Is this thing still on? Yeah. Hello. Hello. It is beautiful. No, but I have to be my application for an Irish passport was just shredded.

This is everything. passport was just shredded. Everything was just shredded. Can I be real for a moment, actually? Nope, not allowed on this thing. Yes, please go ahead. Wrong fog, asked. Do you remember your interview with John Lithgo? And you sang earnestly, then. You sang authentically.

And it was so beautiful. It really, really, really was. It was nice. It was just, I was happy for you that you got to sing that way. And I suppose I related to it a bit. Obviously, we're on a slightly different scale of what we're doing, but... I don't think so, actually. I think you are my doppelganger in so many ways. We are not on different levels at all. I'm proud to be. Yeah. But just that you know you have it's a beautiful thing to sing with loads of people but it can feel a bit inaccessible if you're not talented or if you're afraid to be able to just get into your room and just like roar along to pray, maybe on say Whitney, Shania. And like, so I bring a lot of like those people with me. So

this is Shania. I know I have the same cut out at home. Oh God. Listen, it's like a what three foot tall cut out of Shania Twain's head. Just her head. Yeah. What three foot tall cut out of Shania Twain's head just her head. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I know what's very nice about what you're doing. Ifa is it is so many people limit themselves because they think, you know, I'm not an expert at this right. I don't do this well. And as and and singing and comedy, both of those things are things that everyone should, you know, should plant both feet and go for it and just have a good time. That's what it's about. You know, it's not about, I mean, in my case, it was for many years, but I don't do it correctly. I'll be murdered. But I'm so glad you're doing that for people.

That's a nice, that's a nice gift you're giving people. Oh, no, it's a, it is a gift that I get to receive because it happened by accident kind of. I accidentally created my dream job and he fun. I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm serious. I accidentally created my nightmare job. I know. Hey, do you want to think this guy, Conor Ryan? Sure, I'll give it a shot. How mean could he be? And sure, I'll give it a shot. How mean could he be? Um, they're microphones. He wouldn't truly be cruel to me when microphones are going.

I think that's cool. So you work a lot of weddings and it sounds like a, yeah, it sounds like, and I do think, I think you're, I do think you're selling me a little short. I think if I worked with you guys and you saw what I could do, eventually you'd give me more responsibility than strumming an inflatable guitar during three queens solo. You could possibly be the first straight man to be a crack mechanic wearing a boiler suit because we are a female, lead and run company.

And when we work with drag queens, of course, but yeah, so that could be a big achievement. So far, I think I fit right in. Yeah, here's the thing. Because it plays with that picture. Yeah, I think it would be lovely. I would love to do that. Do you have a question for Conan, EFA?

Yes, I do. So I have a pretty vicious inner critic. I don't know if you'll be able to relate to this comment. So basically, just despite all of the privilege, the support, the love that I've had from my family, my friends, everything, I've just always had this voice that says, you know, you're just your garbage and everything that you do. It's nonsense. And she comes in and she goes and stuff like that. But a couple of years ago, my therapist said,

why don't you give that voice a name? Give that voice a name. So I decided to call her Aunt Linda, which is not based on any real aunt. It's actually based on Kristen Wigg, Saturday Night Live character and Linda from weekend update. I don't know if you remember. I'm wondering, what have you done to work with that inner critical voice? Do you have a name for yours?

How are you supposed to put yourself out of your comfort zone and still not feel like you're going to have like a heart attack every time. Well, I, you know, I take that. Make sense. Yeah. Yeah. It makes absolute sense. I wish it didn't, but it makes absolute complete sense, IFA.

And I take these things really seriously. And I'm glad that you told me that because I have all joking aside a very strong critical voice. And I've done a lot of work on it over the years. And I believe in that because I think, unfortunately, it's the flip side of you seem to me like someone who has a lot of energy and creativity and you're very giving it. And then there's a flip side to it, which is the counterbalance, which is the negativity. And that waits. And I

tell my daughter all the time, it waits, it waits, it waits. And then when you're vulnerable, it attacks and you're no good, you're terrible. You made this mistake, you made that mistake. So I think the best thing you could do is make it another, I think it's a great thing you did, which is you gave it a name and you made it a different person. And that's very smart because the voice is incorrect, the voice is wrong. And the other thing you can do that I think really helps. Again, I'm not kidding. And that's very smart because the voice is incorrect. The voice is wrong. And the other thing you can do that I think really helps. Again, I'm not kidding, is journal it.

Write down all of every negative thing that Aunt Linda says and walk away, this is an actual technique in cognitive therapy, walk away, go do something else. 20 minutes later, come back and read that list. And it's going to look absurd to you. It is. When you give yourself a 20 minute later, come back and read that list. And it's going to look absurd to you. It is. When you give yourself a 20 minute break, you're gonna come back and you're gonna read,

I'm a terrible person, I'm not helping anybody, I'm no good, my boiler suit is awful. So you're gonna read all this, you're gonna read all this stuff and you're gonna say like, no, that's just not true. I think she had a problem with her boiler suit. Oh, well trust me. hotlinda has a big, no, but I mean that's the,

that's a well-known technique and it really does work. And just remember, you're not alone. It's so true. So many people do this and it's always people you don't suspect because most people looking at you would think you've built this great company. You've got this great life. You're bringing joy to all these people.

You would never have a negative thought in the world and they have no idea. So you've got good company, all right? And just remember, just write it down. And Aunt Linda, I don't understand why these voices exist. They do provide, they actually do something. I don't know what it is. They're there. They probably exist as

evolutionary beings. They helped us at one point avoid the woolly mammoth that was around the corner, but it helps me to think about Linda as a member of my family. Like she is, I thought maybe I could get rid of her, but actually she is here to stay. So it's just about how can I like see her and not like, well, you know, be completely triggered every time I see her, you know, it's just like and really the main thing she is just she just really doesn't want me to. She just really wants me to be safe. She's just like very toxic about it. So I think that's kind of what I think. That's the weird thing. I'm in the loves you. It just doesn't know how to show it. Does your inner voice have a name? What's that?

It's called Conan O'Brien. No, no. And it's an external voice. It's an external voice. Oh, oh. But usually it doesn't go after me, it goes after Gorylee. Yeah, that's the funny thing.

That's why I've given him a name of Conan O'Brien. Oh, oh, okay. Well, if I'll say this, you are a lovely person and I love what you're doing and thank you for sharing that, that tidbit about yourself because I think just other people are going to hear that and go, oh my god, if EFA has that problem and if Corona has that problem, this is just pretty common. So, uh, yeah, and please, when I do show up, give me a chance to sing. Please.

I can do it. I tell you I can. If, um, this podcast thing doesn't work out for you, there's always a job for you. Oh, trust me, it's already not working. It's working. I'm losing two of my staff members right now. Yeah. Oh my God. Could I just say just a really heartfelt thanks to the three of you and everyone working with you for getting me and I think millions of others through the pandemic. It was such a lifeline to be able to laugh with you and to kind of even go through the process of like trying to figure out what the fuck was happening and you know hearing you guys like

adapt to it all and like figuring out how to produce this you know it was you really worked really hard to help us laugh. And I just, that was the main reason I wanted to come on and meet you guys and just say thank you so much to, to Sonia and Matt, especially, but I'll end. So, come on too. We're on a time. We're just going to start. We're just going to start it. We're just going to start it. We're going to start it. In fact, we're going to have to edit that last, those last two nigs out. You can head out. We can hang out with you. Well, EFA, that was really sweet of you to In fact, we're going to have to edit that last little last two weeks out. You can head out.

We can hang out with you. Well, EFA, that was really sweet of you to say. And it's nice for us to know that you're out there listening. And you never know our fans may cross. So inflate that guitar. It delight us. I will. It's, I have it here.

It's getting ready. I'm sure you do. I'll have it. I see a lot of props back there. I can see. I'm broken to Gallagher's warehouse. Hey, EFA, you take care you take care and all the best. Take care.

All the best to you. Thank you so much. Bye, guys. Bye. Conan O'Brien needs a fan with Conan O'Brien, Sonom of Sessian, and Matt Gourley, produced by me, Matt Gourley, executive produced by Adam Sachs, Nick Leal, and Jeff Ross at Team Coco, and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Your Wolf, Incidental Music by Jimmy Vivino.

Supervising producer Aaron Blair, Associate Talent Producer Jennifer Samples, Associate Producer Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm. Engineering by Eduardo Perez, please rate, review, and subscribe to Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. This has been a team of Coco Production in association with EWOLF. with Ewok.