Jackie Hayden is a titan in the Irish music journalism business, with a career on both sides of the fence. He got his start in the record industry with Polydor Records in the 1960s and for most of the '70s was marketing manager with CBS Ireland, where he signed a little known band called U2 to their first record contract.

He left in 1983 to start a career as director and general manager of Irish music magazine Hot Press, and ran his own music consultancy company. A founder member of the Jobs In Music campaign, he was invited by the Irish government to serve on a task force and was appointed chairman of a committee to examine the international marketing of Irish music. He co-wrote the book My Boy: The Philip Lynott Story, a number one on the Irish best-seller lists with Philomena Lynott, as well as The Need to Know Guide to the Record Industry. He wrote The Winner In Me, the controversial biography of Don Baker, and co-wrote The Need To Know Guide To Careers In Music.

In 2001, he chaired the Fairplay for Airplay project, which acknowledged the support for new music and Irish artists given by key individuals in Irish radio. He has also delivered thought-provoking lectures to the MIX (Music Industry Explained) courses, workshops, songwriters clubs, and colleges/universities throughout the land.

His First Cuts column in Hot Press is one of the few national media outlets for new music. This year will see the publication of his book A Man in a Woman's World, recounting his experiences as part of Ireland's rape crisis movement.

We had one of the most delightful conversations on Irish music that I've had with anyone in many a year. Here's how it went.

How did you get your start in the music business?

The career has been two halves. I was involved with Polydor and Sony, I was working on the promotions side. My main activity since 1983 has been writing for Hot Press. Every year I do this thing called MIX , which stands for Music Industry Explained. I do some lecturing on music in some of the colleges and universities in Ireland whenever asked.

What has been the most exciting time for you as a journalist covering the Irish music scene?

I suppose the realization that following the success of U2 that there were more people coming out that were equally talented. There were the Cranberries, and Clannad has been equally successful, and it wasn't just a one-off. We had talent accepted on an international scale. The live music scene and the new found Irish confidence.

Some artists I talked to, like Hothouse Flowers, actually felt a huge weight lifted off of them when the record companies stopped looking for "the next big thing" in Ireland.

It came in two waves. Every record company zoomed into Ireland to sign the next U2. A lot of those acts did not make it internationally. A more organic growth came through when the pressure was off to find the next U2. The whole idea of another U2 is bland and blasé. You need something fresh. They were the first U2, which is what made them so fresh. They were breaking the mold, not copying the formula.

Was the Louis Wash boy band phase of Irish music history as hard for you to endure as it was for me?

Louis Walsh never dominated the scene. He manufactured U.K. bands. They recorded over there. There was never an active scene over here. If the records were successful they became a large here but it wasn't an Irish scene per se.

That said, I don't get bothered by music I don't like. I just don't listen. If young people learn to love music through a boy band then it's fine. You grow through various things. You don't read Shakespeare at four.

What do you think of the Irish music scene today?

It depends on which vantage point. As a music fan, there's never been better. The live scene is positive. Everyone is doing a tour stop here in smaller venues. We have a thriving local scene, trad, folk, bar bands, etc.

I am not sure if its good for the artist because it is very competitive. There is a finite amount of money and space. There is so much out there that it's hard to keep up with it.

Anyone can make a record cheaply. It's great for free expression but it means that people are getting in one another's way. Not sure how it's going to pan out. It is impossible to keep in touch with it all.

Has myspace revolutionized the Irish music business?

I think Irish artists are becoming too reliant on spaces like myspace. A lot of the successful acts like the Arctic Monkeys have come through the Internet. The mainstream media picked up on them. There is a leap to get to the wider public.

There is a new generation of fans growing up that do not know about buying music in a physical form. A lot of acts are caught in the middle of that as a generation of downloaders expand and grow older.

What does that do to music stores?

There have been some closures, while some are rising to the challenge with live gigs on the premises that bring people in. It seems to be getting by nicely. I don't see signs on lots of shops closing. Nothing that would suggest an end of the world stuff.

It must be a concern for the likes of record and book shops who now have to compete with the Internet. That has hit the music instrument business in Ireland. If you buy your guitar cheaply in Czech that you will have to have it fixed locally.

How does Hot Press stay relevant in this new digital media age?

We have our own website to help people wade through the great amount of stuff out there. There is still a need for guidance on what is good out there. Even someone like me can only keep up with a fraction of what is out there.

The role of Hot Press is to make people more creative, to take risk. Not just people in rock formula.

What is the trad scene like over there?

Hot Press covers it to a nice extent, though not to the extent of rock. Traditional bands coming to America with six people makes it difficult.

We haven't had any major new acts coming on the scene. Kila, Altan, Lunasa have all been around for a while. That might be a result of the international people closing its doors. The traditional market is on a crossroads at the moment.

I'm waiting for the new Polish and African immigrants who now call Ireland home to mix music with the trad guys in the pubs. It could be interesting.

It should provide lots of cross fertilization of our music going into other genres. There was a music release in Galway that has all sorts of interesting cross cultural things. Then you have to ask yourself: do I want to listen to Senegalese music from someone down the road, or do I want to go to Senegal for it?

The real traditional music is always at home. Kila made some phenomenal music with Japanese musicians. Immigrants to Ireland will assimilate into the rock scene more than a trad scene.

You've interviewed everyone in the Irish music business. Any favorites? Surprises?

It's always interesting interviewing Bob Geldof. He wants to speak and is quite happy to argue. Some artists are offended if you challenge them. He is happy to mix it with anyone. It is a pleasant experience. I like interviewing him because you are not just getting automatic answers. It's people like him that I look forward to interviewing.

Christy Moore is another interesting one. A real live human being with emotions, and he is willing to share as long as you respect him.

People like Sinead have a personal courage that doesn't have a fear of being themselves. Other artists have that "how will I be perceived?" attitude. They know there are certain areas that they want to avoid. Sinead has no off limits.

I remember the thrill of the Rolling Stones playing Slane in 1982. What do you think of the big stadium shows?

We have become blasé about it, but when Michael Jackson played Cork and Prince came and played, we thought it was something special. Those were barrier breaking concerts at the time. Bruce played Slane, that was a special gig as well. Now, it's just another tour stop.

What do you think of the acoustic singer/songwriter phase we seem to be in now?

Damien Rice is way down the line in terms of international success. I like Damien Dempsey. He is singing in his own voice in his own accent. Shaz Oye has an incredible voice, and I didn't know it came from a woman with such a small stature. She sings about the negative impact of the fashion industry on self-esteem and the modern life of Ireland.

The house is on fire and you have to run in and get your favorite CD. What's in your hand?

A bootleg recording of Bob Dylan at the Point in Dublin in 2005. He sings this slow, mournful version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" that is worth risking your life for.