The Undertones return to headline Roadmender

After a triumphant 40th anniversary tour last year, The Undertones are back on the road and headline the Roadmender on Saturday night.
By The Newsroom
Published 14th Nov 2017, 14:50 BST
Updated 12th Dec 2017, 04:24 BST
The UndertonesThe Undertones
The Undertones

Emerging from Derry in 1976, John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Feargal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley learned their trade by listening to mail order records, reading the few copies of NME that made it to Derry and from listening to John Peel’s show on BBC Radio One. Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording John O’Neill’s Teenage Kicks in 1978 on Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations label in Belfast. When Peel received a copy, he played it twice in a row on his radio show. The Undertones signed with Sire Records and Teenage Kicks was re-released, resulting in the band’s first appearance on Top Of The Pops. Over the next five years, John O Neill, crafted further pop gems such as Here Comes The Summer, Jimmy Jimmy, You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It) and Wednesday Week while Damian O’Neill and Michael Bradley contributed My Perfect Cousin. Their debut self titled album was released in 1979 and followed by Hypnotised, Positive Tough and The Sin Of Pride. In 1983 Feargal Sharkey left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day. The Undertones remained silent for the next 16 years however, in 1999 they reconvened, without Sharkey to once again perform their two-minute, three and a half chord songs to a new generation of fans in Derry with Paul McLoone on vocals.The band released the album Get What You Need in 2003 and Dig Yourself Deep in 2007.Since signing a licensing deal with Union Square Music, the four original LPs, have been available in digital and physical form, all with additional tracks and videos and the band marked Record Store Day 2013 with a 7” vinyl only release, recorded in the famous Toe Rag studio in London. The Undertones celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2016 with live performances at festivals and venues throughout the UK and Europe. They headline the Northampton venue on Saturday, November 18. Doors open at 8pm, tickets cost 8pm in advance before fees. Next Friday San Diego post hardcore quartet Secrets (pictured left) headline the venue. Support is by Shields, Caliburn, Faces Of Eve and Wovenlung. Doors open at 7pm, tickets cost £10 in advance or £13 on the door.