The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, Rudi - which was your favourite punk rock band in the 70s? 'Punky Joe' (see below) thinks Rudi were the best. Do you agree?

What gigs did you go to? What did the songs mean to you? Did you meet any band members? Do you think the DJ culture has ruined live bands?
Have your say .....

Your Teenage Kicks

Back in the late 70s I was heavily into the first generation of punk rock bands. I was only a kid back then and I'm still a fan now 25 years later. During 1978 I saw both Stiff Little Fingers and the Undertones for the first time. On 2 /2 / 78 SLF were supporting the Adverts along with RUDI. After the show I was standing in the toilets in Queens Uni talking about the gig and soaking my wrist in the sink because, as I found out at the hospital the next day, I'd broken it in two places going mental during Rudi's set. One of my mates said SLF were the best band of the night. I said no way Rudi were far better and I looked to my right and Henry Cluney the SLF guitarist was standing right next to me. He did not look happy.

There was already a healthy punk scene in Belfast and The Undertones were fourth on the bill at the first Belfast punk festival at Queens in the summer of 78. It was the 14 / 6 / 78 to be exact and when they came on stage we thought Fergal Sharkey was a guy called Kyle who worked in the Caroline music record shop in Ann St Belfast. They looked so alike and we didn't know who they were at the time anyway . There wasn't a parka in sight that night either Sharkey was wearing a motor bike jacket and leather trousers well maybe PVC for their debut show in N.I. punks capital city and the band weren't bad . On the way home from the gig we passed the Europa hotel and in those days it had a security barrier all the way round the building and you entered through a wooden security hut. I could see a tall skinny figure leaning against a pillar and drinking wine straight from the bottle. As we got closer I could see it was the late great irish man Phil Lynott. Thin Lizzy were playing a couple of nights at the Ulster Hall. I shouted over "alright Phil" and he raised the bottle as if to toast us and he shouted back "alright then lads". During the punk days Thin Lizzy were one of the few rock bands it was ok to like. Anyway as for the Undertones v SLF debate both bands came nowhere near to RUDI the best and most underated band to ever come out of N.I . They had the songs and were untouchable live but they just didn't have the luck required to make it big.

Do you agree or disagree with me? Well spit it out then and lets hear your stories from the punk glory days or if you have no taste in music and just don't like punk have your say.
[ PunkyJoe St Cyr ]

You can have YOUR say by adding your comments at the bottom of the page.
(NI Editor)

"Loopy Lou" tells us there's a new book about the Punk movement in Northern Ireland (2003) Click Here to find out more...

The Undertones played Glasgow Tiffany's on the day John Lennon died. I knew the promoter, having been promoting gigs at Glasgow Tech around that time, so I managed to get into the gig for the afternoon soundcheck. I met Feargal during the day. "What do think 'bout John then", says I. "There'll be plenty vultures around him right now without me joining in" says he(sic) Maybe he thought I was going to quote him. I wouldn't do a thing like that, now would I.
[Alan O'Neill]

"... in the early '70s Stiff little Fingers and the Undertones had a bust-up in the Top of the Pops studio which ended with the set being destroyed!"
[Steve Boyle, Antrim]

Between years 1972 -76 I was a secondary teacher in St. Peter's Christian Brothers School, Foyle Hill, Derry. An avid chess fan I formed a school chess team which travelled Northern Ireland competing with rival schools which the Department of Education sponsored at the time. On that team was a young Michael Bradley whose interest in music at that time was more than obvious. His prowess in chess was equally evident and myself and the team spent many a happy practice session and indeed went on to win several regional finals. Oh yeah and by the way I loved his music and the Undertones but I never admitted as much until they played in the Silver Slipper Ballroom in Strandhill, County Sligo one winter's night in (circa) 1978. Prior to their performance I sat in their touring bus discussing old times. Particularly expensive wrist watches were flashed by the boys with the words "Do you remember you used tell us that if we didn't work in class we would end up nowhere ...!! So what do you think now Sir???!!! Like most music fans I think "well done boys". Your programme on on Wednesday night (7th November, 2001, BBC) was testimony to Derry's excellence....
[Gerrard Barr]

In September, 1980, I was on an Irish Language Course in Co Donegal. A day trip was organised to Derry for Saturday. My aim was to get a copy of NME which I couldn't get in Donegal. Anyway, I wasn't having much luck in Derry either, when I spotted this bloke standing outside of a shop reading the NME. I went over to ask him where he had bought it. It turned out to be Fergal Sharkey. I was gob-smacked. I loved the Undertones. I chatted to him for about 5 minutes before he headed off (he was waiting for his girlfriend to come out of the shop.) In the end I never asked where he got NME. Even worse, I forgot completely that my own girlfriend, who was standing on the other side of the road waiting for me, had a camera, and I could have been pictured with Fergal..
[Eddie Joyce, County Dublin]

I first saw the Undertones at the Rainbow Theatre, London in May 1981. I'd been aware of them and had bought their albums. Out on the stage wandered five urchins, just like me, who proceeded to totally blow the audience away. They wouldn't let them finish and in the end the band did something like 7 encores. They remain the best live band, I've ever seen and are one of the best bands ever. They have fans all over the world which despite the parochialism of of their local base. I think they showed me that anything was possible and achievable - the opened up the idea of possibilities and also provided a touchstone for home. I'd explain to English people that the Undertones songs were really what most of our lives were like despite the troubles...
[Arthur Magee]

My first gig was the Undertones at Cloughough Youth Club, Newry in 1982. I was a closet punk, listening to it on my crappy tape recorder in my bedroom - but this was great to be allowed to go - I promised I'd do my homework the next day! My friend impressed me- she arrived wearing her big brother's leather jacket, complete with all the right badges. On the other hand I was wearing my (green) school duffle! I was a wee bit taken aback with all the cider and pogoing in the hall, but it was real exciting. Newry punks were a hard bunch! Anyway, I was well into it half way up the hall (I didn't want to get hurt up the front!) but I wondered why people were throwing up wee pieces of paper to the band. Was it the names of songs they wanted to hear? Messages to their favourite member? Not very punk I thought - until Fergal stopped mid-song and said something to the effect, " if you B.....ds don't stop F...ing spitting on us we're walking off". It took me a long time to admit to my embarrassing stupidity!!!......
[Celine Traynor, Dublin]

Hi everybody: I`m a former fan and annoying hanger on to the Undertones here in San Diego now. I've become a boring professor of British Literature at Palomar College in San Diego. Thanks so much - I've got a million stories about walking home from the Brow O'the Hill School to Clarendon Street in Derry, where I grew up ......
[Fergal O`Doherty, San Diego]

Kelly,s boxing day 1979 fantastic night Jimmy Jimmy, I need a mars bar. GOOD to see them back on the road. We still kick out and bop and we are in our forties!....
[John Millar, Coleraine]

I work in a primary school in Derry and my lunchtime was spent reliving old memories with the other staff at the school which were brought on by viewing the Undertones programme last night. A superb programme.The older teachers knew all about the band and quite a few had seen them back in their early days. They especially loved hearing how they formed and seeing Derry as it was back in the 70's. It was really unusual and clever to see a music documentary using so many old images of Derry. Well done to all concerned for giving us a wonderful forty minutes. Personally, I could have watched it for longer...
[Michelle Harrigan, Derry]

The first LP I ever bought was Hypnotised by The Undertones. It wasn't even a real LP it was a cassette as we didn't have a record player. I was only 14 in the summer of 1980, but I was just starting to rebel against my parents and get interested in girls. That LP seemed to epitomise everything I was at that age. I seem to remember that summer as a particularly good one, sitting on the grass after playing four hours continuous football, drinking orange sukis, and trying to get out with the good looking girl from down the road. But only managing to snog her not so good looking mate. Throughout all of this The Undertones Hypnotised played like a soundtrack. More songs about chocolate and girls seems to capture that adolescent time perfectly. It was my last, great, innocent summer...
[A Geoghegan, Derry]

I was then and still now a big fan of the undertones, I used to go and see them play in the CASBAH and in Oscars they were the best. it was even better when I got to hang around with feargal,i remember the first time I went to his house seeing all his trophies it was great,then when he got married he lived in deburgh terrace for a while driving a red nissan (heap of a car it was)my mates and I and feargal would light up a silk cut red and talk about different things, I would start singing a few words of my perfect cousin and he'd go crazy,ha!! when they had the recording studio up in abercorn road my brother and i were invited up to record a song of our own so we did,at the time i was playing bass guitar which was'nt the greatest of guitars so feargal say's here borrow mickeys he'll not mind,jesus well that was just great I got to play mickey bradleys bass guitar the big heavy brown one(thanks mickey)and I met billy on a few occasions as well,and just today I went to radio foyle and who waved out, but my friend mickey. The only thing i've left to say is.. great bunch of lads that will never be forgotton,I have a 14 year old son now, when I play my old records my son likes their music too so there you are...
[Paul Gallagher, Derry]