You can’t turn the clock back but it was like yesterday. Hot Press magazine sent me a telegram, no emails in 1980, asking me to go to Belfast and review the Good Vibes Farewell gig in the Ulster Hall. It was a warm evening and the shafts of light coming into Robinsons Bar lit the faces of five Outcasts, watching themselves on BBC TVs ‘Scene around Six’ programme, featuring the Cowans painting firm, exchanging their guitars for paintbrushes and stepladders.Terri Hooley arrives with someone tagging along behind. It’s John Peel, compere for tonights show. Terri introduces him to me and he replies “You must be the legendary Ernie Badness”.
I decide to leave the bar after Martin Cowan threatens me “If you don’t write a good review of us, i’ll stick this pint glass in your face”. Very punk, l thought but l had to meet Hot Press photographer Ross Fitzsimons elsewhere. Already punks were gathering in Bedford Street and Gt. Victoria Street, posing for John Davies’ camera crews. John Peel stands beside me behind the bands as one by one, each act take the stage. My ‘Hot Press’ review said all l had to say about the bands and you’ll just have to check that out yourself.
It was a moment in history and some forty years later the same sounds came back to haunt me as i fought back tears as the Lyric Theatre hosted the musical of the Good Vibes story. I choked in my seat as my life seemed to go flashing by. And when i flew to Australia for The Undertones 40th Anniversary tour and first ‘down under’, John O’Neill came off the stage at ‘The Gov, Adelaide’ and said to my daughter “Jesus, this man is a legend”, echoing the words of John Peel back in 1980.
Tony McGartland aka Ernie Badness April 2022.
Paul Burgess (Ruefrex) being in awe of the great man 24th April 1980.
I don't remember that much about it to be honest other than going onstage and thinking oh my I God, we're playing the Ulster Hall! And how absolutely packed it was, especially down the front. I would have been just 21 years old at the time which seems so young now. Happy days and still a real badge of pride more than 40 years on.
Barry McIIheney (Singer, Shock Treatment).
The Moondogs were on the original posters. I think they were then replaced by the Tearjerkers, who then pulled out, and we got the call. We had just replaced Chris Loughridge on drums with Paul Kelly from the Lids. It was Paul's first gig with us . The place was stuffed. I remember wearing a white space invaders tee shirt which was a greeny/yellow colour after we had finished, from all the SPIT. I remember running on stage and smacking my head off the mic. We played well. Basil broke a string like he usually did and we borrowed Ruefrex’s bass. We had two shock troops , Basil's brother William and Marcus McCrory selling cassettes from the stage .The rest is a bit vague. I remember Peel on stage and Hooley at the end. Rudi were my favourite on the night.
Davy McLarnon (Guitarist, Shock Treatment).
Original 1980 Hot Press Review Below ;
BIG SELF/RUEFREX/SHOCK TREATMENT/RUDI/THE OUTCASTS (Ulster Hall, Belfast).
SIX THIRTY, in the bar round the corner from the Ulster Hall sit three Outcasts - Gordy, Getty and Martin. We’re sitting watching ‘Scene Around Six’ - The Outcasts are on film from the Harp Bar, recorded the previous Monday night. Outside, the streets are crowded with kids as young as twelve, clad in leather, bondage and hair of all colours. John Peel sits at the bar with Terri Hooley.
Inside the Ulster Hall, The Outcasts do their soundcheck. The doors open at 7.30pm sharp. Running to schedule Big Self hit the stage to a shower of gob and they battle their way through a set of some unknown tunes and also my favourites ‘Jagged Edges’ and ‘Snakes And Ladders’.
Ruefrex took a taxi to Omagh last year to play a gig - that’s when they found a place in my heart. Apart from the pure energy of ‘One By One’ EP, Ruefrex’s front man Allan Clarke is the one responsible for the band’s power. Songs that begin on a heavy bass ‘drone’ climax with pogoing kids and exploding smoke bombs on stage. Ruefrex have got the talent but who’s going to be first there?
Before tonight Shock Treatment were a mystery to me. Previously all I’d heard of them was their Downtown Radio session last year and I wasn’t impressed. Live, they had me beating my fist on my knee, I loved them. Barry McIIheney supplies the strong ‘volt’ behind the group with songs I can still sing along to, especially ‘Big Check Shirts’, ‘I Like It Like That’ and ‘Mystery Man’, which will be their next single, hopefully.
Tonight Rudi had problems. Guitarist Brian Young’s amp was giving trouble and the fact that there were too many on stage added to his discomfort. ‘Overcome By Fumes’ almost fell to pieces without the guitar, but, ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy’ pulled things together for them. Chaos erupted as they crashed into ‘SS RUC’ led by the entire hall, who chanted along. Upstairs in the balcony stood a lonely police man. Ow come a band with so much drive isn’t riding high alongside The Undertones?
John Peel introduced The Outcasts, all of their heads freshly shaved and they powered into ‘You’re A disease’ and ‘Love Is For Sops’, dedicated to all the boys who brought their girlfriends with them tonight and ‘Love You For Never’, where the entire hall was reduced to hand clapping! At this point the stage was mobbed, the camera crew finding it almost impossible to film (they’d had enough trouble trying to keep Gerry steady!)
Then came the highlight of the night. The whole of Belfast seemed to be there behind Terri Hooley as he and the Terrors, accompanied by three young girls on backing vocals closed the night with ‘Laugh At Me’ that’s Terri’s hit single by the way................................Ernie Badness.
