September 2008 Archives
It’s hard to believe that it’s now thirty years since the release of the Teenage Kicks EP by The Undertones. Some things haven’t changed much. A former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Jim Callaghan) had taken over from an elected Labour Prime Minister (Harold Wilson) and found himself in deep political trouble after a brief spell of initial popularity.
This era of high inflation, economic uncertainty and political instability gave birth to punk and new wave music. This was treated with some hysteria by the popular press which demonised punk music and its disaffected fans as barbarian hordes bent on destroying ‘life as we know it’.
That was then. Today, three decades later, we can look back on that time with some affection for the bands that outraged public decency; the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Rudi, Stiff Little Finger and The Undertones.
The Undertones began playing in the Casbah bar in Derry city centre before signing with Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations record label. They went stellar after Teenage Kicks was picked up by the influential Radio One presenter John Peel who regarded the song highly. The group signed up with the London label Sire, the home of The Ramones and Talking Heads. They went on to release four albums and a total of 13 singles before the band broke up in 1983 when Feargal Sharkey left to pursue a solo career.
A facsimile limited edition 45rpm vinyl disc was released at the Good Vibes record shop in Belfast to celebrate the launch of the original Teenage Kicks EP. For those who still have a vinyl record player in service, this is a good buy. It sounds terrific.
Of greater interest to most Undertones fans is the simultaneous launch of The Undertones: an Anthology. This isn’t your average compilation album. It’s much more than that. The gatefold packaging display photographs and disc covers from the band’s heyday. The first disc has 29 tracks. All the expected hits – Teenage Kicks, Jimmy Jimmy, You’ve got my Number, Julie Ocean etc – are there. What’s even more interesting for old fans is the second disc; 27 previously unreleased private demo tapes, some rough mixes and a few rehearsals.
This is all bundled together with a useful booklet with a long essay by Mickey Bradley. Mickey recalls the first gig in the Casbah, the Battle of the Bands against Rudi and The Outcasts in the McMordie Hall in Belfast, signing with Sire Records and the band’s last gig at Punchestown in 1983.
Damien O’Neill, who admits to being the ‘sad old hoarder and archivist of the group’ writes of rummaging through his treasure trove of old C60 and C90 cassettes to find rare gems for the second disc. Listen for yourselves to see if he succeeded in sorting out the wheat from the chaff. I rather think that he did well.
The booklet doesn’t waste any space, offering a complete play list for both discs and lots of contemporary pictures, record cover images and old posters for the band. No Undertones fan could hope for anything better.
This era of high inflation, economic uncertainty and political instability gave birth to punk and new wave music. This was treated with some hysteria by the popular press which demonised punk music and its disaffected fans as barbarian hordes bent on destroying ‘life as we know it’.
That was then. Today, three decades later, we can look back on that time with some affection for the bands that outraged public decency; the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Rudi, Stiff Little Finger and The Undertones.
The Undertones began playing in the Casbah bar in Derry city centre before signing with Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations record label. They went stellar after Teenage Kicks was picked up by the influential Radio One presenter John Peel who regarded the song highly. The group signed up with the London label Sire, the home of The Ramones and Talking Heads. They went on to release four albums and a total of 13 singles before the band broke up in 1983 when Feargal Sharkey left to pursue a solo career.
A facsimile limited edition 45rpm vinyl disc was released at the Good Vibes record shop in Belfast to celebrate the launch of the original Teenage Kicks EP. For those who still have a vinyl record player in service, this is a good buy. It sounds terrific.
Of greater interest to most Undertones fans is the simultaneous launch of The Undertones: an Anthology. This isn’t your average compilation album. It’s much more than that. The gatefold packaging display photographs and disc covers from the band’s heyday. The first disc has 29 tracks. All the expected hits – Teenage Kicks, Jimmy Jimmy, You’ve got my Number, Julie Ocean etc – are there. What’s even more interesting for old fans is the second disc; 27 previously unreleased private demo tapes, some rough mixes and a few rehearsals.
This is all bundled together with a useful booklet with a long essay by Mickey Bradley. Mickey recalls the first gig in the Casbah, the Battle of the Bands against Rudi and The Outcasts in the McMordie Hall in Belfast, signing with Sire Records and the band’s last gig at Punchestown in 1983.
Damien O’Neill, who admits to being the ‘sad old hoarder and archivist of the group’ writes of rummaging through his treasure trove of old C60 and C90 cassettes to find rare gems for the second disc. Listen for yourselves to see if he succeeded in sorting out the wheat from the chaff. I rather think that he did well.
The booklet doesn’t waste any space, offering a complete play list for both discs and lots of contemporary pictures, record cover images and old posters for the band. No Undertones fan could hope for anything better.
My review of Joe Baker’s new booklet, Belfast in the 1940’s in July’s Carrick Biz really captured the imagination of Carrick Biz readers. It brought one of my biggest postbags ever. Most writers wanted to know where they could get hold of a copy of this superbly illustrated booklet. Well, good news folks! You can get hold of a copy at Bargain Books in CastleCourt or directly from the publisher, Glenravel Publications in the Ashton Centre, Churchill Street, Belfast.
This amazing response suggests that a lot of people are still fascinated by life in Belfast and Northern Ireland during the Second World War, whether they lived through it themselves or heard their parents’ or grandparents’ wartime stories. I’m sure that most of these people would be interested to visit the little known Northern Ireland War Memorial Home Front Exhibition. This can be found in Talbot street close to St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast city centre.
The most striking feature of this new permanent exhibition space is a magnificent stained glass window. This records the sacrifice made by the people of Ulster in two world wars. Within the window a bronze relief commemorates the thousand souls who perished in the Blitz, 745 of whom died in the 1941 Easter Tuesday raid.
The exhibition has four main themes: the 1941 Blitz; Women of Ulster; the Ulster Home Guard and the American presence. For each theme, a little tableau has been created: an ARP warden clearing up after an air raid; a Women’s Voluntary Service member doling out tea; two Home Guard volunteers on exercise and an American GI’s salute copied by a cheeky young schoolboy.
The role of American soldiers in Ulster is especially interesting. The first US troops to land in Europe disembarked at Dufferin Dock in Belfast in January 1942. In the run-up to D-Day in 1944 over 120,000 US servicemen were stationed in Northern Ireland despite protests from Eamon DeValera. Quite a few of these were stationed in Carrickfergus.
Just after the war General Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe, stated that. “From here started the long march to Allied victory. Without Northern Ireland, I do not see how the American forces could have been concentrated to begin the invasion of Europe.”
The first GI officially to set foot in Europe in World War II was Private First Class, 34th Infantryman Milburn H Henke from Hutchinson, Minnesota, when he stepped off the boat at Dufferin Dock. His uniform badges are on display in the exhibition.
The role of women in the Second World War is often under appreciated. In fact, 120,000 women played a vital part in the war effort. Four thousand women made shells, ammunition and bomb components in Mackies factory. In the textile factories, women made uniforms, parachutes and camouflage nets for the armed forces.
Women served in the Civil Defence to support the ARP wardens. My mother was one of these women. Many other women joined auxiliary services in support of the regular army, navy and air force. I had an aunt who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. This fine exhibition recalls these largely unsung heroines.
The NIWM exhibition is not just another museum but a living memorial to all those who died in the war at home or abroad. A black granite memorial stone and books of remembrance record their names. A scrolling screen identifies all the victims of the Blitz by name and address.
The permanent Home Front exhibition is only one part of the work of the Northern Ireland War Memorial. It also runs a comprehensive schools programme with slideshows, games, quizzes and short films. A similar outreach programme is aimed community groups. Bona-fide researchers can also seek accrss to the NIWM archive. This contains hundreds of photographs, diaries, scrapbooks and contemporary items. A lot of these items are currently being digitally catalogued. Check out www.niwarmemorial.org to read a digital copy of the GI’s Guide to Northern Ireland.
The Home Front exhibition is open from Monday to Friday between 10:00AM and 4:30PM.
Phone 028 9032 0392 or email info@niwarmemal.org for more details.
This amazing response suggests that a lot of people are still fascinated by life in Belfast and Northern Ireland during the Second World War, whether they lived through it themselves or heard their parents’ or grandparents’ wartime stories. I’m sure that most of these people would be interested to visit the little known Northern Ireland War Memorial Home Front Exhibition. This can be found in Talbot street close to St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast city centre.
The most striking feature of this new permanent exhibition space is a magnificent stained glass window. This records the sacrifice made by the people of Ulster in two world wars. Within the window a bronze relief commemorates the thousand souls who perished in the Blitz, 745 of whom died in the 1941 Easter Tuesday raid.
The exhibition has four main themes: the 1941 Blitz; Women of Ulster; the Ulster Home Guard and the American presence. For each theme, a little tableau has been created: an ARP warden clearing up after an air raid; a Women’s Voluntary Service member doling out tea; two Home Guard volunteers on exercise and an American GI’s salute copied by a cheeky young schoolboy.
The role of American soldiers in Ulster is especially interesting. The first US troops to land in Europe disembarked at Dufferin Dock in Belfast in January 1942. In the run-up to D-Day in 1944 over 120,000 US servicemen were stationed in Northern Ireland despite protests from Eamon DeValera. Quite a few of these were stationed in Carrickfergus.
Just after the war General Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe, stated that. “From here started the long march to Allied victory. Without Northern Ireland, I do not see how the American forces could have been concentrated to begin the invasion of Europe.”
The first GI officially to set foot in Europe in World War II was Private First Class, 34th Infantryman Milburn H Henke from Hutchinson, Minnesota, when he stepped off the boat at Dufferin Dock. His uniform badges are on display in the exhibition.
The role of women in the Second World War is often under appreciated. In fact, 120,000 women played a vital part in the war effort. Four thousand women made shells, ammunition and bomb components in Mackies factory. In the textile factories, women made uniforms, parachutes and camouflage nets for the armed forces.
Women served in the Civil Defence to support the ARP wardens. My mother was one of these women. Many other women joined auxiliary services in support of the regular army, navy and air force. I had an aunt who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. This fine exhibition recalls these largely unsung heroines.
The NIWM exhibition is not just another museum but a living memorial to all those who died in the war at home or abroad. A black granite memorial stone and books of remembrance record their names. A scrolling screen identifies all the victims of the Blitz by name and address.
The permanent Home Front exhibition is only one part of the work of the Northern Ireland War Memorial. It also runs a comprehensive schools programme with slideshows, games, quizzes and short films. A similar outreach programme is aimed community groups. Bona-fide researchers can also seek accrss to the NIWM archive. This contains hundreds of photographs, diaries, scrapbooks and contemporary items. A lot of these items are currently being digitally catalogued. Check out www.niwarmemorial.org to read a digital copy of the GI’s Guide to Northern Ireland.
The Home Front exhibition is open from Monday to Friday between 10:00AM and 4:30PM.
Phone 028 9032 0392 or email info@niwarmemal.org for more details.
CLASSIC REVIEW
Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
WHITE HEAT (1949) Director Raoul Walsh Certificate: 15
JAMES CAGNEY has a reputation for playing gangster roles, first established in The Roaring Twenties. White Heat, one of Cagney's later gangster films, saw him at the top of his form.
In this film, he's not the likeable hero of Angels with Dirty Faces. Cody Jarrett (Cagney) is an insane stone-cold killer with a very unhealthy devotion to his formidable mother, Ma Jarrett (Margaret Wycherly). Cody's gang are terrified of him, with good reason. He's mad. He knows it. They know it. Even his mother knows it. Nobody in the gang can reason with him, so they stick with him through a mixture of loyalty and fear. Those who upset him know he'll kill them without giving it a moment's thought.
Cody and his gang rob a train and kill the engine driver. To avoid the electric chair, Cody activates his alibi and gives himself up for a lesser crime which took place at the same time, hundreds of miles away.
While in prison he is befriended by Vic Pardo (Edmond O'Brien), an undercover cop who foils an attempt on his life by an associate of Cody's uppity deputy, Big Ed Somers (Steve Cochran). Big Ed is plotting to take over the gang in association with Verna, (Virginia Mayo) Cody's wife. Cody's mother is killed by the plotters.
Cody and Pardo break out of prison. He aims to re-establish his position in the gang, settle scores with Big Ed and Verna and make an audacious raid on a chemical factory using the precedent of the Wooden Horse of Troy.
This violent thriller has no dull moments. There's no attempt to get inside Cody's mind. You just go along for the ride with its spectacular final scenes in the chemical factory. This has to be Cagney's finest role.
The Warner Bros DVD is packed with lots of extras and also appears in a James Cagney Signature boxed set. No movie collection is complete without White Heat. Top of the World!
Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
WHITE HEAT (1949) Director Raoul Walsh Certificate: 15
JAMES CAGNEY has a reputation for playing gangster roles, first established in The Roaring Twenties. White Heat, one of Cagney's later gangster films, saw him at the top of his form.
In this film, he's not the likeable hero of Angels with Dirty Faces. Cody Jarrett (Cagney) is an insane stone-cold killer with a very unhealthy devotion to his formidable mother, Ma Jarrett (Margaret Wycherly). Cody's gang are terrified of him, with good reason. He's mad. He knows it. They know it. Even his mother knows it. Nobody in the gang can reason with him, so they stick with him through a mixture of loyalty and fear. Those who upset him know he'll kill them without giving it a moment's thought.
Cody and his gang rob a train and kill the engine driver. To avoid the electric chair, Cody activates his alibi and gives himself up for a lesser crime which took place at the same time, hundreds of miles away.
While in prison he is befriended by Vic Pardo (Edmond O'Brien), an undercover cop who foils an attempt on his life by an associate of Cody's uppity deputy, Big Ed Somers (Steve Cochran). Big Ed is plotting to take over the gang in association with Verna, (Virginia Mayo) Cody's wife. Cody's mother is killed by the plotters.
Cody and Pardo break out of prison. He aims to re-establish his position in the gang, settle scores with Big Ed and Verna and make an audacious raid on a chemical factory using the precedent of the Wooden Horse of Troy.
This violent thriller has no dull moments. There's no attempt to get inside Cody's mind. You just go along for the ride with its spectacular final scenes in the chemical factory. This has to be Cagney's finest role.
The Warner Bros DVD is packed with lots of extras and also appears in a James Cagney Signature boxed set. No movie collection is complete without White Heat. Top of the World!
