9.49°C I was getting my things together at home for a DJ set at Twisters last Saturday night when I received a text message telling me that Nial Harrington had died. It’s strange – when someone has cancer, you know in the back of your mind that something serious could happen, but when the news actually comes, it still feels like a bolt out of the blue. The message also said that if I was having a drink that evening, I should raise a glass to Nial and his family.
I got to know Nial through sharing a room with him at the creative hub at 15 Queen Street, and he was a top fella. We spent many hours chatting about everything and nothing – music, money, families, good times, bad times – just a load of old nonsense really, but the sort of stuff that kept us entertained and made us laugh. We’d listen to tunes while we worked; I’d introduce some to him, and he’d introduce some to me.
I worked with Nial on a couple of big projects, both of which people can still see and remember him by. Do you know the Colchester Free Festival logo – the one on the blue background? That was designed by Nial. Did you buy the last two Free Festival programmes or the Free Festival CD? They were designed by Nial. Do you know the Colchester Comedy Festival logo and brochure? They were designed by Nial, too. The guy was talented.
Possibly my favourite memory of Nial was when we worked through the night to finish the Free Festival 2011 programme. It wasn’t glamorous – I was writing copy as we went and Nial was designing the programme in real time. We got through the night with plenty of banter, a couple of bottles of red wine and lots of music. Nial played one track I’d never heard before and, whenever things got tough, we put it on again and again. The track was by James Brown, and it’s called Tengo Tango. Last Saturday night, while DJ’ing at Twisters, I played it and raised a glass to Nial and his family. No one there had a clue about its significance, but I did – and it felt right.
RIP Nial. You were a great man, and one your wife and daughters can be very proud of.
Ben x
This one’s for you, mate – a tune that will always remind me of you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sklb9vE2NmM
