A to Z of N. Ireland Punk Bands

SPEED

(Click on Image for More Photos)

This five piece Portadown based band are credited as the first band to release a new wave single in N. Ireland with their one and only single issued in 1977 on Cliff Moore’s newly founded It Records label from Portadown. The two tracks on the single, recorded in a Dublin studio feature a 60’s Kinks cover “All Day And All Of The Night” on the flip and an original composition “Big City” as the lead track. Neither could be considered PuNk tracks but the band and record label certainly bought into the whole anyone can do it vibe and spirit of the time.

The group were formed by Crow (Alan Crozier) and Gary Cassidy when they both split from a band called Zip in 1976. The original line up of the band was Crow (Alan Crozier) on lead guitar and main vocals, Peege (Paul Grant) on second guitar and vocals, Gary Cassidy on bass and vocals and James Black on drums. This original line-up split shortly before the recording of the band’s debut first single on IT Records over ‘artistic differences’. The band then went through a myriad of line up changes which resulted in this line up cutting the said 7” single. Paul West vocals, Alan Crozier (Crow) guitar, Paul Grant (Peege) guitar, Jimmy bass and Ger on drums. Paul West AKA Paul Maxwell, would later turn up in the Tearjerkers.

The above image shows the original line up of Speed - Gary Cassidy bass, James Black drums and Peege (Paul Grant) guitar and vocals.
If anyone has any further information or photographs of this band, then please DO get in contact via spit77to82@aol.com