Background
He was born in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, Ireland.
He was born in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, Ireland.
His stage name refers to his upbringing in Ireland where peat briquettes were burned for heat instead of coal. He was the bass guitarist, backing vocalist, occasional songwriter, and sometime keyboardist for The, a band that reached worldwide popularity in the late 1970s. His bass lines are evident on such songs as "Rat Trap", "Banana Republic" and "Like Clockwork", the last two of which he co-wrote with Bob Geldof.
Briquette is the only Rats member who still frequently collaborates with Geldof, playing on some of his biggest hits such as "Great Song of Indifference" and "Love or Something".
Briquette now works as a record producer and produced the French singer Renaud"s 2009 album of Irish ballads Molly Malone - Balade Irlandaise which includes contributions from Terry Woods (The Pogues), Barney McKenna (The Dubliners) and Glen Hanson. Though criticised for the quality of Renaud"s voice, the album was commercially successful and reached number one on the French charts.
He was a member of the and currently plays in Bob Geldof"s band.
