Well, after much work and headaches with the translation, here's the final result of the interview I sent him a while ago one of the authors of the book It Makes you want to spit-The definitive guide to punk in N. Ireland (discussed here ). Northern Ireland punk brought together a remarkable scene and from there came important and well known bands like Stiff Little Fingers would or The Undertones . But they were only the tip of the iceberg of a scene as I was saying was quite large and varied, as are many groups within all the different streams or sub-styles of punk. And that is why books or websites such as those discussed here are important and need to be taken into account always remember as well as the bands with less recognition or even failed to leave anything recorded at the time. Thanks to Sean O'Neill to address my questions, here are the interview. ALM
. Hi Sean, to tell us who you start (age, city, your work) and explain when you first hear the word associated with Punk music and how did you start it (you heard groups, etc). Sean
. Hi, how are you? Purete I'ma punk, I'm closer to 50 than 40 and currently live in a small town about 40 miles outside of Belfast with my wife and two daughters. Ah! And my 8 year old German shepherd named Rudi . I explain my introduction to punk in the book It Makes You Want To Spit! , which you can buy directly from http://www.spitrecords.co.uk/ . So I will not spoil or boring future readers who have already made a copy of the book.
ALM. What are the dates that you keep the best memories of those years? For those who have not read the book yet, can you explain what had happened to the suspension which would be the first performance of The Clash in Belfast (nde: there in principle all kinds of rumors about the suspension of the concert, all of them related largely to the armed conflict, threats that if this or that group as well as many problems between police and punks)?
S . It is well documented that the first attempt at concert Clash in Belfast in 1977 was suspended in the last minute due to insurance disputes. My memories of concerts 30 years ago or more are a little blurry as you might imagine, but the best were watching local bands Rudi and The Outcasts . ALM
. I more or less according to photos that the vast majority of the most popular punk bands of the time came to act for Northern Ireland, but I have not seen anything about the Pistols ... the Sex Pistols came to act any time by Northern Ireland in those days? What other groups you threw at fault in that period? Were there other groups who refused to play there because of fear, threats or political?
S . I must say that the vast majority of the most famous punk bands played here is a great exaggeration. Between 1977 and 1982 there were just groups who do face the Irish Sea to play here. Those who did were treated as conquering heroes for the guys here, because they were hungry for live music because of "problems." Many of these bands live and keep good memories of your trip to Northern Ireland and we try to take advantage of that in the book. These stories give a good picture of life here at the moment, and they contrast greatly with the prospects they had local bands and political situation in their countries. In many cases, situations where we did not get any attention because we lived with them every day, made these prints remain for long in the bands that played here from outside. Sex Pistols, Sham 69 , X-Ray Spex , Generation X , 999 , The Jam, The Vibrators , Slaughter & The Dogs , Electric Chairs, etc, never played here. 30 years later, most still do not have!
ALM. For a period of years covered by the book, we see both bands Punk'77 style as what is known now as the 2 nd Wave of Punk where the sound appeared hardened and ridges, leather, etc ... used to follow the punks of the time all the bands had equal or sectarianism the style, the policy stance, the commercial, etc. that have?
S . I can only speak from my personal perspective, but I have no record of any sectarian or other discrimination against any band in the concerts that I saw. Religion was never on the agenda of concerts, punks, was something that was left at the door. Young people were fed up with sectarianism, and why they would want to introduce punk concert? That said, there were rivalries between local bands and between groups of Belfast and Derry, largely as the rivalries between the north and south of England. ALM
. You talk about some tensions between the punks and rockabillys but were not as great as in London, but what is worn by punks with other tribes of that time as mods, heavys or other, had problems with them?
S . The mods were certainly a problem. They hunted in packs and lonely punks got caught. I had many "moves" with mods in his day. However, in general, there was never any problem with other youth movements of the time.
ALM. Continuing with the tribes and Skiheads reference now to believe that less Control Zone, a member of Outcasts and do not know if anyone The Defects (some photos can be seen a certain look skin) only those years there were no groups involved in the move Skin-Oi, What do you think it was because of this? Do you think that had to do something that many Englishmen at that time skins were starting to identify with the principles of the National Front and, therefore, with the Loyalist side in Northern Ireland there?
S . I think it's a very simplistic view of what happened here at that time. The skinhead look re-emerged about 1980, groups like The Outcasts adopted the style for a short period of time and were on the move Oi a while too, but in my opinion they always retained their original and unique sound. Northern Ireland had many bands Oi classified as Rabies , Catch 22, Assault, etc, but sadly none of them were never recorded anything. I hope my website in some way comes to documenting the history of these small groups. ALM
. What did, however, that there was plenty of groups identified with the anarchist activism (Toxic Waste, Hit Parade, Stalag ...). What do you think was so important to this movement there in Northern Ireland? Did you have something to do which was the first concert there Crass?
S . The concerts of the Crass in A Centre in 1982 actually served as a catalyst for the local anarchist scene of bands like Toxic Waste formed directly as a result of the concerts. At that time, many of the original groups had separated or had simply run out of steam.
ALM. Comment in the work that the Northern Ireland punk joined to young Catholics and Protestants. Unlike eg the Basque Country, an area where there was also a strong movement in the 80's punk and where there were closely identified with groups or fighting MLNV by ETA, singing in their language, etc. Given this example, you explain something more about the political context in Northern Ireland in those years and in relation to the emergence of punk (I guess because Union Jacks at concerts or people linked to loyalist groups stuck to punks ... )?
S . As far as I'm concerned, such views and opinions are left at the door of punk concerts and rightly so! I certainly never got to find these people in punk concerts I attended. Punk in Northern Ireland was as a "third religion, an escape from what were daily seeing in the news from our living rooms. Why we wanted to be lenient with our escapism? I therefore expanded my entire outlook on life and allowed me to meet people from different religions would never have done had it not been for punk. Many of the friends I made during the years of punk it is still common. ALM
. Changing third, who more or less I know Good Vibrations, the label that brought together many of the best bands of those times, but I was surprised to read that there was also stamped "Christian punk" named Budj Records, " We could talk more about them? Who were the Stryper of punk in Northern Ireland?
S . The history of Budj Records is explained in detail in Spit It Makes You Want! I have a copy of The Stryper solo album as "complete" (nde: completist). I would not recommend anyone drive unless it was in the bucket as bargain!
ALM. SLF, Undertones, Rudi Outscats or had (some more than others) some impact and was well known then, but what was it for you the group treated unfairly by the critics of that time and that they deserved as you reach a little further ...?
S . GOOD QUESTION! Which I am trying to work with my newly created new label, Spit Records (visit the web http://www.spitrecords.co.uk/ ). My goal is to edit amount of unpublished material of bands in Northern Ireland and make their biographies on the page. Some of these groups are well known, others less, but all possess the unique punk sound of Northern Ireland. Is a project that excites me. It is gratifying to have no restriction to the amount of text or pictures that can be used and that it had when we collect for Spit book in 2003. Now I am also in contact with many members of old bands thanks to social networking sites, etc. The site is in progress, but I have the intention of updating regularly.
Take a look at the page and if you have material that you think I could use to contact me!
ALM. Stiff Little Fingers are one of my favorite bands, but I read about them all sorts of criticism (cocky, fake, money-grubbing, if Jake Burns to expel anyone who does not get along ...), so I think they are equally loved and hated. What do you think of the path DES and all these controversies surrounding them? Do you still today? What do you think?
S . Then put a part of what I wrote to the superb book Link Roland on Stiff Little Fingers entitled Kicking Up A Racket . I think quite eloquently explained my views on the group.
Stiff Little Fingers will always be synonymous with punk in Ulster. It is a reality. Sadly, in many cases both for its "controversial" manager and co-creator of songs as for his classic albums from the late 70's and early 80's. As school 14 or 15 years in the late 70's, was not at all interested in who wrote (or contributed) to write the lyrics of their songs. For me, it was clear that the group felt what they were singing and even better, they did on my life and offered alternative viewpoints. His initial burst of raw energy in the Ulster punk scene was fascinating and as soon as she was transferred to the discs, they truly emerged with the help of John Peel and went beyond where the red buses stopped Belfast. His first self-released single was / is a classic of pure adrenaline. His success created much-needed media interest in the Belfast punk scene to date, was totally ignored by the music press, London (go and check but your old musical roles, my friend.) Had there been no fanzines as Alternative Ulster, we could not read anything at all about our group! It was his own then that one of the most famous hymns Stiff Little Fingers share the same title of our best known fanzine. For the first time since the troubles began in Northern Ireland, music fans had something to be proud. There is certainly a great sense of pride when someone from your own small part of the world "made it" and for me, no better way illustrate this as when I saw Jake Burns up there on Top Of The Pops wearing a football shirt of Northern Ireland, imitating their tonsils (nde: doing playback) "Nobody's heroes." The concerts were manic-plated spit support band (as with Big Self), but that is another story. For once the punk was really something more than pure nostalgia. The contribution of Stiff Little Fingers the Belfast music scene is incalculable. The fact that even today I continue to maintain the level shows that, THEY TOOK THE SONGS. Sean O'Neill
, June 2008.
ALM. What is your opinion that Undertones had resumed activity as a group despite the lack of Feargal?
S . Never try to be very picky about the bands that are reformed. Obviously never be the same when his youth group, etc, but you can not criticize a good song. I've seen the band live several times since his return and take him surprisingly well. It is always good that such groups recorded new material to keep the interest both of the same band as the most ardent fans, although many of the shows such as "Festival punk ", the whole audience just want to hear the old stuff, which is depressing at times. ALM
. Last year I enjoyed the Rebellion with Defects and The Outcasts will see that in the next edition of the festival and do not know if it still active Shame Academy, Have you seen them lately? Do they still fit?
S . Yes, The Defects were exceptional last year in Blackpool. The current lineup of the band is really good. I was in the audience in Blackpool! At the time of this writing, The Outcasts have only tested a few times since his return and I have not seen, so I do not know how they sound. The formation of 2011 consists of three original members and Greg Martin Cowan , Raymond Falls in the battery and are complemented by Petesy Burns and Brian Young , which would mean the end of Shame Academy but who knows!
sure to introduce this year if you see me out there!
ALM. What is your opinion and what are your favorite over Northern Ireland such as Sham 69 ("Ulster"), The Boomtown Rats ("Banana Republic"), and others?
S . This is easily my favorite song on Northern Ireland's "Concrete curtains" of Big Self. The title is an obvious reference to all the houses boarded up in those days. ALM
. Finally, do you know something of the English state's music scene? Have you ever been here?
S . I've been in some of the English holiday island over the years and my knowledge of English is limited to punk compilations like Bloodstains across Spain, etc.
ALM. Nothing more, thank you for your time, it's time to say goodbye and say what you want.
S . Nothing more to add. I think the basics have been covered. Thanks for your interest in the book and I hope that what I am doing now with Spit Records act and serve as a complement to the old and new fans of the punk scene in Northern Ireland in the late 70's and early 80 discover other great bands and songs of one of the last bastions of the UK punk. The debut edition of Spit Records label is a direct The Outcats recorded in early los 80 y está ya disponible directamente en http://www.spitrecords.co.uk/ .
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