Craic Mechanic

0:03Conan O 'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit teamcoco.com slash call Conan. Okay, Let's get started.

0:41How do you spell your name? Is it phonetic? Is it E-E-F-A? Or have you Irish done something crazy to it? We've done our usual. So my name is spelled A-O-I-F-E. Oh, for God's sake. Wow. No, it's every vowel except you. And 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. Oyfee, eh, oifee. 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 Neve. But the correct spelling in Ireland is akin to, I'm not even exaggerating.

1:32N-I-A-H-M-F. It's madness. It's nyamfa. Nyamfa. That's actually, that's my sister's name. Is it? Really? Yes, yes, she's Nia's. Do you guys have like a letters quota that you have to use? Yes, yes. Penalized or something? Absolutely, it's part of our agreement with the European Union. You need to just get all those vowels in there. It goes back to the 17th century. The British said, you've got to have 35 vowels in your name or we'll 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 Niamh or Nyam.

2:21Nyam. I think that was good parenting. I think my real name, probably in Ireland, I don't even know what it would be, Aoife, but it was probably like...

2:34It was spelt C-I-O-V-H-A-M-H-E-N. Yeah, very good. And Sona is S-I-O-N-V-H-A. Oh my God. There you go. Sona has deep Irish roots. They do. Very deep Irish roots. Can't you tell? Yeah, I can tell. Incredible rageaholic. So Aoife, let's talk about you. First of all, I very much like the shirt that you're wearing. It's cool. Thanks. It's got, I want to describe it to people. It's got like epaulettes on the side, but then beautiful like pink pony hair hanging down from the epaulettes. Gorgeous. Yes. What is this you're wearing? So this is actually my work uniform. This is a boiler suit. So it's a full, you know.

3:24All right, don't point your butt at the screen. Power suits. I've gotten in trouble asking people to do that online. Oh, it's not it. Oh, my goodness. But no, so you're wearing, yeah, it's a full, we would call it maybe a body suit or jumpsuit. Jumpsuit, yeah. Jumpsuit, yeah. We would call it a boiler suit. So it looks like, yeah, you're here to repair a boiler, but you also happen to be an admiral in the French Navy. The French tickler Navy. Look at those epilets. Okay, you take it easy, buddy boy. I like the pom-poms. Yeah, the pom-poms look good, too. Thank you so much. Yeah, it is amazing what you can do with a glue gun.

3:56So, 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 spelled 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 boiler suit because, you know, it's dirty business. I have to, yeah, help people to have a good time. Are you a masseuse then? I'm really trying to understand. Like a chiropractor. Like a chiropractor. You're a chiropractor. Yeah, yeah, no, what I'll tell you honestly is I'm a wedding DJ and that's good. Aoife, Aoife, you are so Irish because there's so much deflection going on that I don't know what you're talking about.

4:47And this happens whenever I talk to anyone in my family. well I hope loosen people's backs up do you really yeah I'm a wedding planner then you're like no of course I don't do that yeah I know so what you're saying is you're oh 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 a crack mechanic because I have a 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.

5:27And so what I decided to do was I decided to distract people and deflect 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, trying to animate the songs. And so being a crack mechanic. Aoife, 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.

6:11I'm curious, you say that you lead people in sing-alongs 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 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 called alcohol that's your perception after a few drinks basically it's for people um you know i i actually love singing um but i i've always kind of struggled a little bit with uh remembering lyrics okay uh also and i also struggle with um a bit of performance like feeling a bit frightened of being on stage um singing specifically um so then those kind of things they and i'm not great at being on time so those things all stop me from joining a choir so uh so then i had no real outlet for singing and um this my event the sing-along social it it happened totally by accident i wanted to invite some friends over to my house for brunch to listen to um jagged little pill by alana sporsett the whole way through it was like the 20 year this is about eight years ago the 20 year anniversary i was like let's just like come around press play see what happens and then basically the guest list 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 A couple of people wanted to come.

7:58And 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. It just like started. It was like, do I stress you out? And literally like everyone in the bar was like screaming. That's amazing. Screaming. Good for you. So you turned this kind of fun idea into a business. This is now your business. and what events do you do? Funerals or no? Oh, no. Well, the Irish love a funeral. We have a good time at a funeral. I've had more laughs at an Irish wake than any other event.

8:35Or is it weddings mostly? We mostly do weddings and we do music festivals as well. So we've just finished a busy summer season. But we also do kind of tours around the country and we've 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, that's the root. Was that you, Matt Gurley? Yeah. I love it. Yeah. It's one of my favorite albums. He also just had an orgasm. Yeah. Good to know. Thank you for clarifying. But yeah. So, and then sometimes we do themes. That was Gurley again. Gurley, stop it. That one was real.

9:17So, so, so, so you love time. 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 um we're doing currently we're doing a britney versus beyonce um tour which is really exciting because doesn't beyonce win that one yeah kinda 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 beyonce is obviously gonna win this one and then there's something about like sometimes so for example with britney you kind of forget the absolute bangers of songs that that her repertoire has produced and also just um i suppose our events attracts a very uh lovely vibe there it's and it's it's it's a we are um it's a because there are a few of us that as that work as crack mechanics and and we love to support women and pop and we make a point of celebrating britney for her talent i suppose and maybe maybe um not uh focusing on on some of her her troubles or maybe sending her out some some good vibes yeah 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 i've never never said that one no no no

10:48I'm understanding now that crack, I know in the UK means like joking around, right? Crack, that's what you meant by crack mechanic. I did. The crack, when people wanna get together and have great conversation and a good time, they call it the crack. What's the crack, remember? What's the crack? We had a guest on this show explain that to us. Yeah. I remember that. Yeah, and it's not to be confused with the crackin'. Oh, 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. This is so important. Well, yes, my job is to untangle the Christmas tree lights sometimes.

11:26Oh, okay. Make sure that everything's clear. Aoife, if I can get back to you and away from Sona, which is, you know. What? Is that an order? What? I'm sorry. Sona's driving me crazy. I didn't say anything. Just your presence. Oh, man. Aoife, 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 be delighted to see you at one of our events, all three of you and the whole team, the whole amazing team. I can't sing. I'm a terrible singer. I would fit in. That would be perfect for you.

12:09So the only thing, so I think what we like to do what all the crack mechanics do is that c-r-a-i-c i'm sorry i didn't explain that very well um but they so we we like to sometimes we create moments for people like um we love to turn people into boy bands and we'll like give them like big boy band white shirts and then we'll get them to sit down and then we'll like count to three for them to stand up at a 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 there's we love playing like 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 like a shredding guitar solo after it and I would love to like get you like give you a guitar for that moment and just let you like an inflatable guitar which I feel I'm you know what I thought it was a real no no no I'm actually much better on an inflatable guitar.

13:09Okay. So you don't see any singing role for me in this group. I mean, it's just not you. It's us. Excuse me. It's not. 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? They want you to come to Ireland to play with a toy. Yes, that would be great. I would love that. You want me to come to Ireland to pretend to strum a blow-up guitar? At the very most. For a brief moment. At the very most. You can play a real guitar. Just for it. Can I just say something? It's 30 seconds. Aoife, I'm a terrific singer in the old Irish style, and you're missing out.

13:47Let's hear some. I know. As a young boy in Killarney, so many years ago, it's a party. Me mom would sing a lullaby. See, you can do funerals. In tune, so sweet and low. So sweet and low.

14:11Come on, come on, this is good stuff. Hello, is this thing still on? Hello, hello. It's beautiful. No, but I have to be - My application for an Irish passport was just shredded. Citizenship, everything. Everything was just shredded. Can I be real for a moment actually? Nope, not allowed on this thing. yes please go wrong podcast no just do you remember your interview with john lithgow and you sang uh earnestly then you sang uh authentically and and it was so beautiful it really really really was it was nice it it was just uh i was happy for you that you that you got to sing that way and i suppose i related to it a bit um obviously we're on a slightly different scale of what we're doing.

15:00I don't think so, actually. I think you and I are. I think you are my doppelganger in so many ways, Eva. We are not on different levels at all. I'm proud to be. 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 Britney, Beyonce, Whitney, Shania. And like, so I bring a lot of like those people with me. So this is Shania. Oh, I know. I have the same cutout at home. Oh, God. To the listeners, it's like a, what, three foot tall cutout of Shania Twain's head?

15:42Just her head. Yeah. Yeah. You know, what's very nice about what you're doing, Aoife, is it is so many people limit themselves because they think, you know, I'm not an expert at this or I don't do this well. 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. If 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 gift you're giving people oh no it's a it is a gift uh that i get to receive because um it happened by accident kind of i accidentally created my dream job and hey it's gotten he thought i know exactly what you're talking about i'm serious i i accidentally created my nightmare job i know hey do you want to meet this guy conor brian sure i'll give it a shot uh how mean could he be um There are microphones.

16:47He 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, I do 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 a brief Queen solo. You could possibly be the first straight man to be a crack mechanic wearing a boiler suit because we are a female led and run company. And we work with drag queens, of course. But yeah, so that could be a big achievement.

17:29So far, I think I fit right in. There's a place with us for sure. Yeah, I think it'd be lovely. I would love to do that. Do you have a question for Conan, Aoife? Yes, I do. um so uh i so i have a a pretty vicious inner critic i i don't know if you'll be able to relate to this so basically just despite all of the privilege the support the love that i've had from my family my friends everything i i've just always had this voice that says you know you're just you're you're garbage and everything that you do is nonsense and and she you know she comes and she goes and stuff like that. But a couple of years ago, my therapist said, you know, why don't you give that voice a name?

18:16Give 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 Wiig's Saturday Night Live character, Aunt Linda from Weekend Update. I don't know if you remember. I remember. I'm wondering, what have you done to work with that inner critical voice? Do you have a name for yours? is 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 every time well i you know i take sense yeah yeah it makes absolute sense i wish it didn't but it makes absolute complete sense ifa and uh i take these things really seriously and i'm glad that you told me that because uh 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, and then there's a flip side to it, which is the counterbalance, which is the negativity, and that waits.

19:20And 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 an other. 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, and again, I'm not kidding, is journal it. Write down every negative thing that Aunt Linda says and walk away. This is an actual technique in cognitive therapy.

19:57Walk 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. Once you give yourself a 20 minute break, you're going to come back and you're going to read, I'm a terrible person. I'm not helping anybody. I'm no good. My boiler suit is awful. And you're going to read all this stuff and you're going to say like, no, that's just not true. I don't think she had a problem with her boiler suit. Oh, well, trust me. Aunt Linda 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.

20:34It'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 wouldn't 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 they're useless now.

21:13It helps me to think of Aunt Linda as a member of my family. You know, 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, you know, be completely triggered every time I see her. you know it's just like and and really the the main thing she she is just she just really doesn't want me to uh she just really wants me to be safe she's just like very toxic about it so i think that's kind of what that's the weird thing mount linda loves you and just doesn't know how to show it does does your inner voice have a name what's that it's called conan o 'brien and it's an external voice it's an external voice it usually doesn't go after me it goes after gorley yeah that's the That's why I've given the name of Conan O 'Brien.

21:57My internal voice. Well, Aoife, I'll say this. You are a lovely person and I love what you're doing. And thank you for sharing that tidbit about yourself because I think just other people are going to hear that and go, oh my God, if Aoife has that problem and if Conan has that problem, this is just pretty common. And please, when I do show up, give me a chance to sing, please. I can do it. I tell you I can. If this podcast thing doesn't work out for you, there's always a job for you. Oh, trust me, it's already not working out. It's working out great. I'm losing two of my staff members right now.

22:33Yeah. 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 Sona and Matt especially.

23:12especially, but I'll end to Conan too. We're out of time. We're just getting started. In fact, we're going to have to edit those last two names out. You can head out. We can hang out with Aoife. That was really sweet of you to say, and it's nice for us to know that you're out there listening. You never know, our paths may cross. So inflate that guitar. Be delighted. I will. I have it here. I'm sure you do. I see a lot of props back there. I broke into Gallagher's warehouse Hey Aoife, you take care And all the best Take care All the best to you Thank you so much Bye guys Thank you Conan O 'Brien needs a fan With Conan O 'Brien Sonam Obsessian And Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley Executive produced by Adam Sachs Nick D 'Leal And Jeff Ross at Team Coco And Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Earwolf Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino

24:34This has been a Team Coco production in association with Earwolf.