Sex Pistols, Dr John Cooper Clarke, The Undertones, and Stiff Little Fingers

Formed of quavering singer Fearful Sharkey, guitarist brothers John and Damian O’Neil, and bassist Michael Bradley, The Undertones’ early inspiration came from the likes of the Beatles, Small Faces and Lindisfarne. That was until the advent of artists such as the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks and the band began playing their original three-chord pop punk material at local venues including The Casbah. With a lack of attention the Undertones were tempted to call it quits until Belfast record store owner Terry Hooley released the band’s debut EP “Teenage Kicks” on his Good Vibrations label in 1978.

The record caught the attention of esteemed radio DJ John Peele, which led the band to give up their day jobs and sign with Sire Records in 1978. A year later the label issued the Undertones’ self-titled debut album, which spawned the acclaimed singles “Jimmy Jimmy”, “Here Comes the Summer”, and “You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It?)". The band supported the album with a UK tour and as the opening act on the Clash’s American tour.

The Undertones’ sophomore album “Hypnotised” reached No. 6 in the UK Albums chart, led by the single “My Perfect Cousin”. The band subsequently headlined their own US tour, and played an impressive 25 UK gigs over a three month period, following the album release. Unhappy with Sire Records’ US promotion of their material, the band signed with EMI in 1981 and recorded 11 songs in three days to complete their third full-length album.

“Positive Touch” arrived later in 1981 and marked the band’s introduction into social commentary, with singles “Crisis of Mine”, “You’re Welcome” and “It’s Going To Happen” discussing the tumultuous troubles in Northern Ireland. Peaking at No. 17 in the UK charts, the band upped their touring schedule, playing a whopping 36 shows over a two month period.

In 1982 the Undertone’s took a break from the intensive touring to focus on writing and recording their fourth full-length “The Sin of Pride”. Released in 1983, with a new musical direction geared towards soul and Motown, the album again earned critical acclaim though failed to reach the commercial success of any of its predecessors. After the subsequent Sin of Pride tour, tensions were running high within the band and with additional pressure from EMI the band split up in 1983.

Following Sharkey’s solo career and the O’Neil brothers’ rock band That Petrol Emotion, the Undertones returned in 1999, however without the original lead singer Sharkey. With Paul McLoone filling the vocalist role, the band played a number of high-profile gigs including 2005’s Glastonbury Festival, providing the pre-match entertainment for a UEFA Champions League match in 2009, as well as shows in Europe, Japan and North America.

The Undertone’s have subsequently released the albums “Get What You Need” in 2003 and “Dig Yourself Deep” in 2007, and the double A-side single “Much Too Late / Another Girl” in 2013.

Stiff Little Fingers are well known for writing and playing music that chronicles their experience of The Troubles (the violent struggles that occurred due to disputes over the constitutional status of Northern Ireland) during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The group’s single “Suspect Device” fell into the hands of UK Radio One DJ John Peel, who played the track continually and won the group a solid fan base as well as significant fame.

The band secured a deal with the Rough Trade record label and released the album “Inflammable Material” through them. The 1979 album went to number 14 on the UK album charts and sold over 100, 000 copies.

The group released a further nine studio albums between 1980 and 2014. The group was as well known for its banned performances (Stiff Little Fingers has been barred from venues as well as television shows such as Top of the Pops) as well as their played gigs, which have taken place all over the UK and Europe. Stiff Little Fingers are known for their hard-hitting tracks that tackle issues such as violence and racism head on.

The band has seen multiple line up changes over the years, but the band’s central fan base has remained strong throughout the decades. Fans of Stiff Little Fingers are struck by the group’s integrity for writing and performing music about the realities of the The Troubles in Northern Ireland despite the political forces they were up against. This fan base has seen Stiff Little Fingers continue to pack out venues today.

While mainstream success may have been modest for Stiff Little Fingers, the historical importance of their music is significant and cannot be disputed.