Terri's Punk Workshop / Punk Plaque Unveiling
Oh Yeah! Centre, Belfast, 11/11/12
featuring: Stuart Bailie, Terri Hooley Experience, Cara Cowan, Brian Young, The Outcasts, The Defects.
Couldn't make it to the official shindig amongst the worthy, the liggers & the press on the Friday afternoon due to work commitments, but I managed to drag myself along for the real deal unofficial unveiling on a dismal rainey Sunday evening in one of the darkest corners of Belfast city centre. We arrived late as usual and there was already a decent enough crowd gathered, we all had to dodge the cars & taxi's speeding along the narrow cobbles of 'Hill St' just as things were reaching their climax. But instead of the current 'Lord Mayor' (whatever he's called) doing the honours, we got his spikey stand in 'Greg Cowan' from 'The Outcasts' - only this time he was removing an old gig poster instead of a velvet curtain to reveal the brass punk plaque for the second time in three days.
We all owe 'Mo Lawrence' a big thank you for all the time and effort she put into this project . Without her it wouldn't have happened. Job done, then there was a couple of short speeches from 'Greg' & 'Terri' and that was that. Everyone then headed in the direction of the Oh Yeah! centre for the gig , or so we thought!.
Needless to say the haphazard organisation of the event continued, the doors of the venue weren't scheduled to open until 8.00pm and shitty weather or not they were going to make the punters wait until then . So here's a question "why the fuck! did they have the unveiling at 7.00pm?" which was done and dusted approximately 45 mins earlier than the venue doors opening. We were getting pissed off hanging around outside, and only I'd met up with my old pal 'Joe Carey' from Stalag 17 (who I hadn't had a natter with in a very long time) and Mully , I'd have walked away and headed home without a second thought.
Eventually it was showtime and we were at last allowed to enter the 'Oh Yeah! centre, and the performances from then on went from the pretty awful, to the absolutely outstanding. But before things got properly underway we had to endure one of the most boring poems ever, three pages of aural torture delivered in monotone by 'Stuart Bailie'. Only in the door and I was already losing the will to live, and 'The Terri Hooley Experience' was next up onstage, lol.
'Terri' is a good guy with a big personality, but even he knows he's more of a shouter than a singer. He murdered his 1979 alternative chart number one 'Laugh at me', a Jimi Hendrix cover of 'Hey Joe' and some other tune I can't remember in full public gaze, unbelievably some of the audience loved it!.
I've seen 'Cara Cowan' live on a number of occasions over the past few years, and tonight she was acoustically assisted by her dad 'Martin' and 'Petesy Burns' from the 'Outcasts' plus some other girl I don't know. She's a good performer, though a bit lightweight to be tackling a trio of 'Outcasts' numbers which included 'Love you for never' and 'Magnum Force' in such a laid back style. Unlike the 'Rudi' pop punk tunes, this transistion from electric to acoustic hasn't been a smooth one. 'Outcasts' songs really need that jolt of electricity and menace to bring them to life.
Since its Belfast premiere back in june, the 'Good Vibrations' movie has been picking up awards and critical plaudits here, there and everywhere worldwide. Lisa, Glenn, Richard and David were present tonight to say a few words and screen a short 8min taster teaser clip. This is such a great movie, I can't wait to see it again in a cinema near me sometime in early 2013.
Youngsy's got the hang of this acoustic lark now, great songs and a great performance . Such a treat to hear the Rudi classic 'Frozen by your touch' among many others being played live again after all this time reworked in his trademark greased up rockin style.
Tonight 'Gangland Warfare' summed up everything thats good about the 'Outcasts' for me, they hit their set peak during this song, and it was ferocious . Fallsy's drums sounded like a violent thunder storm.
And finally it was 'The Defects' who closed the show in fine style including a comedy cameo by a uniformed 'Constable Hooley' reporting for duty during 'Brutality' (SSRUC).
Its plain to see that certain bands across the globe with a similar vintage to 'The Defects' are more than happy to wrap themselves tightly in their late 70s / early 80s glory days comfort blanket, but not these boys they definitely have their eyes set on the future prize. All that Australian sunshine and gigging has re-energised this band and their sound, 'The Defects' were fantastic. Buck is a great frontman, Kinky was solid as ever, there was brilliant guitar work from Roy, and as for Aidy I don't know whats happened to him but he's quite the showman these days. The new song 'Riot Free Zone' is a belter , their new album 'XXX' is going to be a killer. 'The Defects' are no longer 20th century, they are more than capable to take on all-comers in the 21st.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 13.11.12.
We all owe 'Mo Lawrence' a big thank you for all the time and effort she put into this project . Without her it wouldn't have happened. Job done, then there was a couple of short speeches from 'Greg' & 'Terri' and that was that. Everyone then headed in the direction of the Oh Yeah! centre for the gig , or so we thought!.
Needless to say the haphazard organisation of the event continued, the doors of the venue weren't scheduled to open until 8.00pm and shitty weather or not they were going to make the punters wait until then . So here's a question "why the fuck! did they have the unveiling at 7.00pm?" which was done and dusted approximately 45 mins earlier than the venue doors opening. We were getting pissed off hanging around outside, and only I'd met up with my old pal 'Joe Carey' from Stalag 17 (who I hadn't had a natter with in a very long time) and Mully , I'd have walked away and headed home without a second thought.
Eventually it was showtime and we were at last allowed to enter the 'Oh Yeah! centre, and the performances from then on went from the pretty awful, to the absolutely outstanding. But before things got properly underway we had to endure one of the most boring poems ever, three pages of aural torture delivered in monotone by 'Stuart Bailie'. Only in the door and I was already losing the will to live, and 'The Terri Hooley Experience' was next up onstage, lol.
'Terri' is a good guy with a big personality, but even he knows he's more of a shouter than a singer. He murdered his 1979 alternative chart number one 'Laugh at me', a Jimi Hendrix cover of 'Hey Joe' and some other tune I can't remember in full public gaze, unbelievably some of the audience loved it!.
I've seen 'Cara Cowan' live on a number of occasions over the past few years, and tonight she was acoustically assisted by her dad 'Martin' and 'Petesy Burns' from the 'Outcasts' plus some other girl I don't know. She's a good performer, though a bit lightweight to be tackling a trio of 'Outcasts' numbers which included 'Love you for never' and 'Magnum Force' in such a laid back style. Unlike the 'Rudi' pop punk tunes, this transistion from electric to acoustic hasn't been a smooth one. 'Outcasts' songs really need that jolt of electricity and menace to bring them to life.
Since its Belfast premiere back in june, the 'Good Vibrations' movie has been picking up awards and critical plaudits here, there and everywhere worldwide. Lisa, Glenn, Richard and David were present tonight to say a few words and screen a short 8min taster teaser clip. This is such a great movie, I can't wait to see it again in a cinema near me sometime in early 2013.
Youngsy's got the hang of this acoustic lark now, great songs and a great performance . Such a treat to hear the Rudi classic 'Frozen by your touch' among many others being played live again after all this time reworked in his trademark greased up rockin style.
Tonight 'Gangland Warfare' summed up everything thats good about the 'Outcasts' for me, they hit their set peak during this song, and it was ferocious . Fallsy's drums sounded like a violent thunder storm.
And finally it was 'The Defects' who closed the show in fine style including a comedy cameo by a uniformed 'Constable Hooley' reporting for duty during 'Brutality' (SSRUC).
Its plain to see that certain bands across the globe with a similar vintage to 'The Defects' are more than happy to wrap themselves tightly in their late 70s / early 80s glory days comfort blanket, but not these boys they definitely have their eyes set on the future prize. All that Australian sunshine and gigging has re-energised this band and their sound, 'The Defects' were fantastic. Buck is a great frontman, Kinky was solid as ever, there was brilliant guitar work from Roy, and as for Aidy I don't know whats happened to him but he's quite the showman these days. The new song 'Riot Free Zone' is a belter , their new album 'XXX' is going to be a killer. 'The Defects' are no longer 20th century, they are more than capable to take on all-comers in the 21st.
Joe Donnelly Belfast 13.11.12.