Never Surrender were a Larne based band featuring Hugh Harvey bass, Kenny Thompson on lead guitar, Nigel Strain on drums and Colin “Mo” McGuckan on vocals. Nigel Greenlee also had a stint in the band as guitarist. Formed in May 1982 and taking their name from the Blitz song they soon penned original material such as Government, Generation X and Born To Loose. Their live set was supplemented by covers such as Peter & The Test Babies Jinx & Blown Out Again, Women by the Anti Nowhere League, Murder in the Subway by Attak etc. The band split in 1985, failing to ever play outside Larne, where they practiced for a time with Alienated, sharing gear and co hosting the infamous Drains Bay gig (see Alienated bio).

Hugh reminisces “It was great fun for a few years. We did some of our own stuff with cover versions such as Alternative Ulster, Baby Baby, I Will Follow and Silly Thing. Jim Holden from Larne, now a qualified referee wrote a cracker called Just Our Luck. Good Craic while it lasted”.

Sadly, in the summer of 2021, drummer Nigel Strain passed away after a long illness. He had been living in Chesterfield. Nigel will be sadly missed by all that knew him. One of the good guys.

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