JOHN WALSHE climbs aboard the newly-rejuvenated Prayer Boat who are up and sailing again with a new single 'Dark Green'.

The Prayer Boat are back. "So what?" the smart boy at the back of the class asks, under his breath.

So, Blessington's finest have just released a really good single, 'Dark Green', with an album to follow later this year. They've got new management, a record deal and are ready to take on the world again.

Formed in 1987, The Prayer Boat derived their name from an Indian festival where millions of people burn incense and candles on small reed boats (prayer boats) and float them down the River Ganges at night, carrying their wishes and prayers. The band sent a demo away to RCA in 1989 and were signed up by the end of that year. They recorded their debut album, "Oceanic Feeling" in 1990, which was released the following year to almost universal acclaim and very little commercial success.

The all-too-familiar story almost ran its course. Band parts company with record label, never to see the lights of stage again. But no, not The Prayer Boat. Once again proving that Irish bands are made of stern stuff, the four lads packed their bags, moved to Glasgow and licked their wounds for three years before re-emerging as a brighter, fresher outfit with a renewed will to succeed.

They signed a new deal last November with Almo Sounds, the new independent label formed by A&M founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. So are they bitter about the RCA affair?

"Not at all," stresses front man, Emmett Tinley. "By the time we had got to the second album stage, there wasn't a single person left at RCA who had been involved with the band when we were signed. We have no hang-ups about it at all."

They look on that whole incident as a learning experience. "You can't think that just because you have a record deal, things are going to work out," says bassist, Tony Byrne. "It's just the first step. We definitely learned a lot the first time.

"Almo, being a small company, doesn't have a big international conglomerate hacking at its back, trying to get figures on paper and make profits," says Tony about the difference this time around. "It's a bit more intimate than the relationship with RCA, and there's greater communication with the powers-that-be, which helps a lot."

This being their second jaunt on the record company merry-go-round, I wondered if there was more pressure on the band to succeed.

"Not yet," says Emmet. "We all want it to work. Everybody's very positive about the whole deal. This is the first single we've had out since we signed with Almo and we're not really looking for too much from Ireland because of the timing of the release (2TV and No Disco are off the air for the summer months), but if it doesn't have some degree of success in England I'm sure people will start asking questions. At the moment, however, there's no pressure on us."

NEW AWARENESS

With work just completed on the video for 'Dark Green', the single is ready for release in England in early July, to be followed by some tour dates in London. The band are currently recording their second album, which they hope to complete by next month. They fill in the blanks in a hectic summer schedule with Irish tour dates and an appearance in the acoustic tent at the Glastonbury festival.

"We're really looking forward to playing at Glastonbury, "enthuses Tony. "We've never been there, so we'll be going both as participants on stage and participants in the crowd. We're on quite early in the day so we'll be able to enjoy the whole event."

"What we really want to do is to go out and play to people, "explains Emmet. "We don't want to depend on people making phone calls. We want to build up a following by playing live. "Although nothing is finalised yet, Emmett says that he would love to tour Europe and America later this year, maybe as a support act. If MTV were to pick up on the 'Dark Green' video it would make touring Europe easier, allowing them to access markets which have hitherto eluded them.

It's a well-documented fact that punters aren't splashing out as much to attend gigs as they were five years ago. The argument has been raised that dance music is killing live rock 'n' roll. I put it to The Prayer Boat that it's bad rock bands who are killing live rock.

"People don't go searching for music any more," offers Tony. "You're given so much music on television through MTV that the choice is right at your fingertips, and I think live music has suffered because of that. It's the same with the whole Rave thing. You know exactly what you're getting. Whereas, when paying in to see an unknown band you run the risk of being disappointed."

How can the balance be redressed?

"I suppose it depends on what perspective you take on it," offers Tony. "Is success an accolade, or is it the music that matters? There are a lot of bands that are making great music, but because they haven't been commercially successful doesn't mean they've failed. There is also the belief that if you are making good music you want people to hear it. It depends what way you look at it.

"Hopefully The Mean Fiddler will be a venue that will attract people who want to enjoy themselves regardless of who's playing," he continues. "I believe the Rock Garden failed because of its design and decor. It wasn't an uplifting place to be, deep under the ground. The Underground was, of course underground too, but it had a certain quality and an atmosphere."

However, it's not all bad news on the live scene. "We did a gig in Whelan's last month and we were playing some of the older songs," says Emmet. "Essentially we were doing the same thing as three years ago, but there was a completely new awareness of the songs. People are more interested in songs and actual lyrics now than they were previously. It was a strange feeling, but it can only be a good thing."