A to Z of N. Ireland Punk Bands

FIVE BOYS

(Click on Image for More Photos)

Formed by Davy McLarnon (Shock Treatment) and Jimi Pig (Guilty Achievements) around 1983/84 following the break-up of the Shock Treatment. The most stable line-up comprised Davy Treatment (McLarnon) - guitar and vocals, Jimi Pig (Michael Kearney) – bass and vocals, Philip Flood – keyboards and saxophone, Chris Burrell – synthesizer and occasional guitar and Bill Reid – drums.
This band would gig the Belfast scene around the mid 1980’s being regulars at the Art College run, Underworld Club at the Orpheus Bar, most notably playing with Tie the Boy a band from whence D:Ream’s Peter Cunnah would spring.
Davy and Jimi were prolific song-writers, in many styles from soul to electro-pop and Davy to this day maintains Jimi is one of the most talented songsmiths he has had the privilege of working with. 2 Five Boys tracks would appear on the Shock Treatment 21 debut album released on Spit Records, ‘The Days of the Buckshee Bounce Are Nearly Over’, namely ‘Dancing On Your Grave’ and ‘Out On The Street”. Two un-released recordings, much in the style of “Out On The Street’ remain un-released and a host of cassettes of band rehearsals containing many songs exist to this day.
In 1987, the track, ‘American Man’ was released on a compilation album 'First Things First... It's A Strange Kettle Of Fish', on Keith McCormick’s One by One record label. By this time the band had morphed into Big Electric plc and they shared space on the album with acts such as The Donnelly Bros, The Rhythm Method and Western Justice. By the dawn of the new decade the band had split. Davy McLarnon went on to play with Peacefrog before calling it a day on the mid 90’s.
Amongst many projects, Davy plans to record other songs from the Five Boys back catalogue and a further collaboration with Jimi can never be ruled out.

If anyone has any further photographs of this band, then please DO get in contact via spit77to82@aol.com