A to Z of N. Ireland Punk Bands

THE MISTAKES

The Mistakes were a punk rock band from Warrenpoint formed in 1979 by Damian Ryan and Paul Tohill from the ashes of Newry band Damage Goods The complete line up was Glyn Davis (Vocals), Damian Ryan (Guitar), Paul Tohill (Bass Guitar) and Dave Wright (Drums).
They mainly performed their own material. Live favourites included “Everyone Hates Everyone’, ‘Snow’, ‘Sound Of My Youth’ and ‘Stuck On You’. They were influenced by Wire, The Clash, The Cure and by various Dublin bands. They also supplemented their live set with a clutch of covers such as ‘Stop Stop’ by Berlin, ‘Flying Duck Theory’ by The Vibrators, T’he Subway Song’ by The Cure and ‘Mercy’ by Wire.
Damian was originally from Dublin and he and Paul visited The Dandelion Market in punk's formative years to buy badges and steal ideas. Their guitar sound was trebly and was heavily influenced by the Dublin bands while the bass sound was straight from PiL. Glyn was a Clash fan and could hold a note as well as anyone. Dave became a decent drummer and he also had a car. This meant that the band could travel.
However, they were met with bans at most of their out of town gigs. In Kilkeel, banned for setting a fire extinguisher off during the headlining bands set, destroying the hired p.a and they had to flee in Dave's car. In Rostrevor, banned for chairs that were smashed during their performance and they were met by an angry mob of concerned adults outside the gig. In Warrenpoint Town Hall, a ban was administered for being drunk and a bad influence. In The Dardanelles, Newry, banned when they were asked to turn the volume down, as the police had arrived, but they turned it up! Apparently someone had been shot in the leg in the downstairs bar.They did however return, ban free, from a gig at The Pound in Belfast in late 1980, where they were supported by Belfast band The Dandy Concubines.
The band ran a 'Rock Against Royal Weddings' poster campaign around Warrenpoint too and were even considering the possibility of playing on the roof of the new bus shelter or in a local nursing home as they couldn't play anywhere else locally because of all the bans. Sadly those gigs never materialised and they went their separate ways in 1981.
The only Mistake to continue in the music scene was Paul, who joined Belfast bands The Baby Vultures, One Fat Antelope and The Psycho Fuckpigs. He also played in The Wiped (with ex members of OFA and Doomed Youth).
Paul then moved to London where he played in The Famous Monsters. With their revolving door policy of band members, Paul got to play with such punk luminaries as Giovanni Dadomo (Snivelling Shits), Patti Palladin (Snatch), Wasted Youth's Mick Atkins and Andy Scott. Tom Crossley (Bad Karma Beckons), Carol Walters from Dublin's original all female punk band The Boy Scoutz and Topper Headon (The Clash).
Paul also played on London's pub-rock circuit in The Big Sleaze Corporation along with Dave Watkins of East London indie rockers The Big House, Ian Kilpatrick (ex Doomed Youth) and Lorcan O'Neill of The Event, a late 70s Newry band.
'I was very lucky and feel very grateful to have been included with some fantastic people and even iconic punk rockers over the years. We all had a real good time together, as the song goes. The whole scene was brilliant and messy. What more do you want?' Paul Tohill.
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