Coolio in Castlederg: 'People thought it was all a hoax'

Dave Doherty said many people believed the gig was going to be a tribute act

"A lot of people thought it was a tribute act and a hoax and a PR stunt."

In 2019, the Grammy Award winning rapper Coolio, who has died at the age of 59, played an intimate gig to about 100 people in Castlederg, County Tyrone.

Even the organiser was surprised.

As Dave Doherty from The Townhouse explained, the show happened after a larger tour date fell through and he was asked if he knew anywhere Coolio could play.

"Because we're involved in Dergfest we were talking to one of the promoters about trying to get an act for the festival and he just made an off-the-cuff remark," Mr Doherty told BBC Radio Foyle's News At One programme.

"I said 'this is just mad enough to work', so I said 'look he can come and play in my place, it's a bit off the beaten track'."

The rest was history.

'One hell of a show'

As Mr Doherty explained, Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr, searched for Castlederg online and said he would do it.

Famed for his 1995 track Gangsta's Paradise, the star's death was announced on Thursday, prompting tributes from the music industry and beyond.

"He came with his six-piece band, a brass section and a soprano singer along with him from Croatia," Mr Doherty said.

"They put on one hell of a show."

The businessman said he did not believe the gig was real until a contract was signed - but then came the rider demands.

Expensive tequila, premium vodka, top of the range champagne and food platters.

"I thought we'd bitten off more than we could chew here," Mr Doherty joked.

Dave Doherty said Coolio took time to talk music with his son Alex, then aged 12

However, the rapper made a lasting impression, particularly with the owner's son, Alex, who aged 12 was a fan of hip-hop and rap music.

Coolio spent 20 minutes talking about music with him and gifted him a signed shirt.

His party even stayed on at the venue into the early hours and "talked to everybody".

Coolio, who was born in Pennsylvania, was found dead at a friend's house in Los Angeles, his management announced.

He was also known for appearances on Big Brother and a reality cook-off series.

"He was a really nice guy and a really nice human being," Mr Doherty reflected when asked for his own tribute to the music star.

"The time that he took to spend with my son, to talk music and to talk to everybody, there was no ego or anything from him, he was just really down to earth for somebody that's a Grammy Award winner landing in Castlederg."