“The Adverts first trip to Ireland was an intense experience. After performing ‘No Time To Be 21’ on Top Of The Pops in London, we were flown in a chartered light plane to Belfast, where we were scheduled to drive to Coleraine for the first gig of the tour. Strong headwinds and ice on the wings meant that we were in the air twice as long as planned, and by the time we finally arrived at the venue the audience had gone home. So Belfast, the next day, was to be our first opportunity to play. After soundcheck we went to check into our hotel, one of the most bombed buildings in Belfast at the time, and found it surrounded by high barbed wire topped security fences, looking more like a prison than a hotel. That’s when it really struck us : we were in a war zone. In the bar locals told us that English visitors like us had no idea what was really going on in Belfast. They were right. Back at the venue, while support band Stiff Little Fingers played, the promoter told us how many guns had been confiscated so far. Guns? What did this audience want to do? – shoot us?

On the way back to the hotel we missed a turning and found ourselves driving down rubble-strewn back streets, past army checkpoints where tense-looking soldiers carrying rifles eyed the passing of our rented mini –van with suspicion. We were four kids from London; we’d never seen anything like it. The next day our drummer was hospitalised with hepatitis and the rest of the dates were cancelled. A few weeks later, the first fanzines started to appear in Belfast, accusing us of being ‘inebriated and apathetic’ and slamming us for our stage-managed performance.

Above image taken outsdie the gates of Stormont, Belfast - Photograph © Stevenson

Gig review from No Fun Fanzine Issue 4 (1978).